Lusaka, Zambia, 16 December 2025 – Zambia has taken a major step towards faster and more predictable cross-border trade by signing an agreement to upgrade the country’s customs management system. The Agreement has been signed by the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and TradeMark Africa (TMA) to enable the rollout of the latest ASYCUDAWorld system, improving cargo clearance times, strengthening revenue control, and reducing administrative burdens for traders while enhancing government revenue.
The 18-month project which is supported by TMA, will modernise the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) customs operations by improving system performance and reliability with funding from the UK Government and implemented by UNCTAD. Speaking at the signing ceremony, Secretary to Cabinet, Patrick Kangwa, said that Zambia expects faster economic growth over the coming years, driven by reforms to improve the business environment, strengthen trade, and support entrepreneurship. He noted that with efforts to diversify the economy, growth could reach over 6% annually by 2026.
“With the projected increase in economic activity and trade, the significance of having an efficient customs management system, such as ASYCUDA, in managing and facilitating increased trade activity cannot be overstated. As trade continues to expand, an effective customs system serves as a cornerstone for economic growth, ensuring that trade flows smoothly and efficiently,” Mr. Kangwa said.
In his remarks, ZRA Commissioner General, Dingani Banda, said that ASYCUDA has become deeply integrated with both internal and external systems, enabling greater automation across customs and tax administration. However, these expanded integrations have also increased system complexity including rising declaration volumes, increased data requirements and the need for coordination across multiple agencies resulting in delays that translate into higher storage costs and uncertainty with smaller traders typically most affected.
“The ASYCUDAWorld stabilisation project will therefore restore system stability, improve processing accuracy, strengthen integrations, and enhance the performance and reliability of the ASYCUDAWorld platform to support efficient customs operations and timely revenue accounting,” said Mr. Banda.
Meanwhile, UNCTAD Regional Coordinator for Eastern, Southern Africa Khauhelo Mawana, said UNCTAD is working with ZRA to optimise and stabilise the ASYCUDAWorld system to ease congestion at Zambia’s borders. Mr. Mawana noted that the deployment of an UNCTAD expert at ZRA headquarters has helped identify system bottlenecks and priority areas for improvement.
“The current challenges are well within the full control of the ZRA. UNCTAD has made technical recommendations to enable the ASYCUDAWorld to work optimally and facilitate faster clearance of cargo across the country’s borders,” he said
TMA’s Southern Africa Regional Director, Hope Situmbeko, said the launch of the project is expected to deliver tangible benefits beyond Zambians as the country is a regional trade and logistics hub that sits at the nexus of the Southern African Corridors including Lobito, Dar es Salaam, Beira and the North-South Corridors. She indicated that the impact of the project is vital component of ensuring efficient the country provides efficient trade facilitation for economic competitiveness and regional integration under COMESA, SADC, and the African Continental Free Trade Area.
“As TradeMark Africa, every improvement we make, every minute and every dollar saved for traders, including youth and women who typically are more affected, translates into real benefits for ordinary Zambians. This is what we mean by ‘Making Trade Work for Africa,’” Ms. Situmbeko added.
And Claire Allan, Head of Economic Development and Growth team at British High Commission noted that the upgraded ASYCUDA Single Window will enhance the reliability of border operations, shorten clearance times, and improve coordination across agencies, supporting increased trade efficiency, improved trader compliance, and Zambia’s regional competitiveness.