WBCG attends regional tripartite transport workshop

Earlier this month, the SADC Secretariat assisted by the Trans Kalahari Corridor Secretariat facilitated a Tripartite Transport and Transit Facilitation Programme (TTTFP) sensitisation workshop with all the Corridor Management Institutions (CMI’s) from the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the East African Community (EAC) in Swakopmund.

The workshop focused on the role of the CMI, the recommended statutory and institutional actions by member states towards harmonisation of applicable laws and regulations; procedures for accessing technical assistance, corridor performance and challenges.

The TTTFP was launched in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in October 2017. It is designed to assist the continental countries of the Tripartite, which include COMESA, EAC and SADC, with an overall strategic objective to facilitate the development of a more competitive, integrated and liberalised regional road transport market in the Tripartite region. Its purpose is to develop and implement harmonised road transport policies, laws, regulations and standards for efficient cross border road transport and transit networks, transport and logistics services, systems and procedures in the tripartite region.

The Programme is funded by the European Union under the 11th European Development Fund Infrastructure envelope and is designed to help each member and partner state to close the identified gaps by means of technical assistance, training and capacity building to institutions provided through the programme.

The Ugandan Minister of Transport and Works was appointed as the Champion of the programme. As Champion his role is to promote the TTTFP and raise its visibility especially in regional and international platforms and networks. The Minister has directed the COMESA, EAC and SADC Secretariats to finalise the harmonisation of outstanding instruments, standards and regulations in collaboration with national and continental stakeholders such as the African Union Commission.

The Walvis Bay-Ndola-Lubumbashi Development Corridor’s (WBNLDC) Consultant for the Cluster Secretariat, Mr. Erick Shimumbwe and WBCG’s Spatial Development Initiative (SDI) Project Manager, Mr. Gilbert Boois attended the workshop. As the interim secretariat of the WBNLDC, WBCG remains committed to its administration. The programme aligns absolutely to the cross border facilitation efforts of the WBCG. “This initiative will help the CMIs improve the efficiency and performance capability of their corridors and in turn lead to long term sustainability”, Mr. Boois explains.

Using the Port of Walvis Bay and the road and rail network, the WBNLDC continues to provide an additional safe and reliable trade route for both Zambia and DRC in addition to serving Malawi and Zimbabwe. As a transit country, Namibia has made significant strides in the context of regional trade routes and continues to attract increased volumes, which in turn relates to additional business activities along the WBNLDC.