One-stop border key to trade facilitation—govt

Minister of Trade Sosten Gwengwe says the construction of one-stop border points in the country’s borders will be crucial to facilitating cross-border trade and promoting industry.

Gwengwe, who was accompanied by Minister of Industry Roy Kachale on a tour of Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) offices at Mwanza Border Post on Saturday, said one-stop border points will expedite trade and improve the country’s chances of securing trade.

He said government plans to create a national single window to complement the one-stop border point to improve the speed at which goods are cleared at border posts.

“The two projects [one-stop border point and national single window] go hand in hand and are central to government’s plans to facilitate faster trade at border points and improve Malawi’s chances of exporting,” he said.

On his part, Kachale said the one-stop border points will also help policymakers to acquire data that will help in making informed decisions on promoting import substitution, develop the local industry and curb smuggling.

MBS director of finance and administration Rex Moyo said the tour provided the institution with a platform to present the challenges they face in ensuring that imports into Malawi are of the required quality and standards. n