Officials review progress made through cross-border road transport
Officials from the Cross-Border Road Transport – Regulators’ Forum this week gathered in Swakopmund to evaluate the progress made by the forum since its establishment two years ago.
The forum which was officially established in March 2018 serves as a body that is geared to improve the cross-border road transport systems in the region by harmonising policies, reduce transportation costs, delays and transit times as well as eliminate regulatory fragmentation in the region.
Speaking at the opening of the two-day workshop in the Namibian coastal town, the chairperson of the forum, Lwazi Mboyi said the forum is a vital cog in creating a better environment of creating an economically vibrant Africa.
“We recognise the fact that Intra-Africa trade is still at its lowest and ours should yet be another attempt to contribute to a significant improvement on that front,” Mboyi said.
The forum has established some key challenges in intr-Africa trade which include different regulatory requirements such as different documentation standards; requirements and operating procedures; different third-party insurance cover requirements; delays and congestion along corridors; and high cost of doing business.
“All these make it difficult for the cross-border road transport industry to realise its full potential and we have been bestowed the responsibility to work collectively to eliminate all of them. This juncture presents a great milestone, but we must not rest on our laurels, great work lies ahead. I am confident that this collective is capable of navigating through these challenges so that the forum can achieve the goals it has set for itself,” he added.
