TANZANIA and Zambia have agreed to look into ways of harmonizing custom system to boost cross-border trade between the two countries, the Minister for Investment, Industry, and Trade, Dr Ashatu Kijaji has said.

She said in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday that harmonization of custom system was one of the measures agreed at a meeting with her Zambian counterpart, Chipoka Mulenga, on Wednesday to resolve red tapes that affect smooth trade operations between the two countries.

“We have discussed possibility of having single customs system to ease movement of cargo from Dar es Salaam Port to Zambia or Congo,” said Dr Kijaji after a ministerial meeting held a day after President Samia Suluhu Hassan and her Zambian counterpart Hakainde Hichilema set the tone in invigorating trade relations between the two countries after meeting in Dar es Salaam, on Tuesday.

Among other issues, the two Presidents discussed and agreed on addressing challenges facing long-haul drivers and small-scale traders across the border of the two countries.

They deliberated on easing trade barriers at the Nakonde Tunduma One Stop Border Post (OSBP) to facilitate smooth movement of people and goods across the border.

In the wake of their talks, Tanzanian Minister for Investment, Industry, and Trade, Dr Ashatu Kijaji and Zambian Minister for Commerce, Trade and Industry, Mr Chipoka Mulenga, on Wednesday came out with joint measures to address the challenges for the development of the two countries.

The two ministers agreed to jointly work to resolve challenges facing long-haul drivers and small-scale traders across the border of the two countries by harmonizing customs systems.

Dr. Kijaji said they also discussed the issue of permits for the small scale traders who cross the Tunduma border to Zambia.

“We have been hearing about small businessmen having their passports confiscated upon crossing to Zambia. So we have discussed and seen it is as something to work on immediately.

My fellow minister has heard about this and agreed that from today (yesterday) small scale traders from Tanzania will no longer be disturbed. They will be doing business as they do here in Tanzania,” said Dr Kijaji.

The two ministers also talked about sharing transporting cargo on road between Tanzanian and Zambian transporters.

They agreed on 50/50 sharing mode between Tanzanian and Zambian transporters in transporting cargo from the Dar es Salaam Port.

Initially, Tanzanian transporters were complaining that the share was not balanced since the Zambian transporters transported 50 per cent of the cargo and the remaining 50 per cent was divided between Tanzanian transporters (20 per cent) and Tanzania-Zambia Railway (30 per cent).

Speaking about the business situation between the two countries, Dr Kijaji said the business situation was not bad as until last week Tanzania has exported to Zambia goods worth more than 68 million US dollars, and Zambia exported to Tanzania goods worth 70 million US dollars.

She said that removing the challenges that have lasted for a long time will help businesses on both sides to grow. On his part, Minister Mulenga said it is time for the two countries to wake up and implement the resolutions without wastage of time.

He advised the authorities or institutions under the ministries to have regular communication to increase the speed of implementation.

Mr Mulenga said they can now arrange to meet not to resolve conflicts but to celebrate achievements. Mr Mulenga assured that the logistics challenges they discussed will be resolved.

“We will sit together with private sectors of both countries to resolve those challenges since we have a common market,” said Mr Mulenga. He said cooperation is needed because if Zambia is poor, Tanzania will not survive.

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