• 1. Access to finance
• 2. Youth unemployment and poverty
• 3. Transport network
• 4. Trade facilitation

 

The policy position addresses the movement of goods between nine Eastern and Southern African countries. It makes recommendations for facilitating trade flows through borders, airports and ports; known as points of entry.

A survey carried out in Botswana, Kenya, Uganda and Zambia among 55 select companies shows that more than half of the companies lose business as a result of inefficiencies and bureaucracy at the points of entry.

In order to address this and secure increased trade flows, the ESA BMO Network recommends to:

• Harmonise customs’ regional regulation through common cumulation rules, rules of origin and standardisation of customs documents in COMESA, EAC, SADC and SACU
• Improve access to information on custom processes and procedures through the creation of a website containing all relevant information by COMESA, EAC, SADC and SACU  
• Deal with operational issues at the points of Entry/Exit which includes expanding opening hours of border posts, the creation of One Stop Border Posts at Border stations, Single window clearance at Entry points, increased use of scanning devices and backup power generators and the development of accreditation systems (AEO) for exporters.