Maravi

Porous Zambia-Malawi border a challenge - PS

Porous Zambia-Malawi border a challenge - PS
By Christopher Miti in Chipata
Thu 29 July 2010, 04:00 CAT

EASTERN Province permanent secretary Eularia Syamujaye yesterday said the porous border between Zambia and Malawi is a challenge.

Speaking when members of the Eastern Province Chamber of Commerce and Industry (EPCCI) and their Luapula counterparts paid a courtesy call on her at her office, Syamujaye, however, said there were some opportunities that came with the challenges posed by the porous border between Zambia and Malawi.

“We have a porous border in the sense that you can hardly tell who is a Zambian and who is a Malawian because we share quite a lot of things. We share names, we share the culture, you know the way of living is very similar, even the language. So we have our own challenges but within the challenges we have our opportunities,” Syamujaye said.

She said the government was very dependent on the private sector.

“Right now we have a very big programme, Chipata-Mchinji railway line which is going to be a conduit for very good trade and a lot of business among our three countries. We are going to provide the shortest route to the sea through the Nacala Port which is in Mozambique through to Malawi and into Zambia and very shortly Zambia is going to have its own dry port anchored in Chipata,” Syamujaye said.

She said the EPCCI would have a lot of work once the railway line became operational.

“We are starting from the scratch, this is a railway line that has been idle for the last 25 years…a white elephant and suddenly the government started from three to four years ago to reactivate the project and the project now has been completed they are just waiting for the inauguration. This is going to be a very serious conduit for commerce and trade,” Syamujaye said.

She said Eastern Province was a highly motivated and industrialized province.

Syamujaye also said the launch of the simplified trade regime would work to the benefit of many people.

She said the Zambian and Malawian governments were in the process of defining the border.

“When the border line is done despite the fact that its porous, we don’t have a physical feature like you have the great Luapula River it will still be very easy for us…at least will be able to… and also when the country is accounting for it has done its important that we account for what we have done as Zambia,” she said.
Syamujaye said it was gratifying that the people on the border had co-existed for a long time.

And a member of the Luapula Chamber of Commerce and Industry Adams Sekeleti said it was good that Syamujaye explained about border issues because Luapula was also a border province.

“I thought we have many things in common because we are also a border province. I think we have a problem with our neighbouring country (Congo DR) in terms of trading because it (trade) has not been simplified so I think from there will also know how to handle trading between our province and the Congo because these are very big markets,” said Sekeleti.

The Luapula chamber was in the Eastern Province for an exchange visit.

Labels: BORDERS, EULARIA SYAMUJAYE, PERMANENT SECRETARIES

posted by MrK @ 10:44 AM