Department of Transport welcomes Truckers’ Forum 2012

The South African Department of Transport (DoT) has stated that the cross border road freight transportation system plays a critical role in intraregional trade. The DoT is committed to provide adequate infrastructure in order to ensure a safe, secure and successful system.

This was one of the main points to come out of the Honourable Minister of Transport Sibusiso Ndebele’s keynote address that was delivered on his behalf at Truckers’ Forum 2012 by Sinethemba Mngqibisa, Chief Director of the DoT.

Speaking at the Forum on Wednesday, 14 March 2012, Mngqibisa stated that, “In the European Union, intraregional trade accounts for almost 80% of their overall trade, and most of this trade is truck borne. In Africa, intraregional trade accounts for a mere 12%. So, for us to unlock the economic value of intraregional trade we need to ask ourselves what is preventing Africa from trading with itself?”

Truckers’ Forum was initiated to provide the essential platform for key players in the regions to openly ask this question in order to provide solutions to leading road transport problems in intraregional trade.

Publisher and MD of 3S Media, Elizabeth Shorten, opened the Forum. Her in address she stated: “As business to business publishers, we at 3S Media, consider it important not only to provide important and relevant information for our readers in our publications and on our websites, but also to engage them in debate. We believe in helping to create platforms that allow our stakeholders to be heard.” It was this very reason that 3S Media teamed up with the Federation of East and Southern Africa Road Transport Associations (FESARTA) to host the Forum.

The Minister in his address highlighted as the main issues of concerns: delays and congestion at key border posts, absence of regulation, safety hazards and inadequate infrastructure.

Over the two days of the Forum these issues, with the help of subject matter experts, will be debated in interactive sessions. The outcomes will be welcomed by the DoT, who according to Mngqibisa, is “looking forward to the outcomes of the Forum, in particular, the practical solutions towards resolving the massive infrastructure backlogs and operational inefficiencies in the region”.

These outcomes will be officially presented to the COMESA, EAC and SADC Tripartite alliance, as input to its Trade and Transport Facilitation Programme.

Key players input
In order to get the best possible solutions during the interactive sessions, delegates of Truckers’ Forum were presented with the prevalent issues that they are facing and some feedback from their previous complaints.

Silas Kanamugire from TradeMark East Africa told delegates about the seven one-stop border posts in East Africa and the various successes that the region has experienced. Barney Curtis, executive director, of FESARTA mentioned that Southern Africa got off to a good start with the Chirundu one-stop border post. However, the busiest border region is the Beitbridge border post. Curtis questioned why the South African and Zimbabwean governments have not yet managed to negotiate terms for a one-stop border post.

Vonesai Hove, non-tariff barrier expert, spoke about the removal of non-tariff barriers between the 26 countries that make up the region covered by the Tripartite alliance. The aim is a free trade area from Cape to Cairo. She explained to delegates how the industry can report on non-tariff barriers through an online system to be found at www.tradebarriers.org

Improving trade
TradeMark South Africa and TradeMark East Africa both aim to reduce time and cost of corridors to improve trade in the region and bring down the cost of goods to the consumer. It is for this reason that they have endorsed Truckers’ Forum.

The Forum continues with interactive sessions on the afternoon of Wednesday, 14 March and the morning of Thursday, March 15. An outcomes document will be presented, discussed, ratified and adopted in a plenary discussion on the afternoon of March 15. These will be officially presented to the COMESA, EAC and SADC Tripartite alliance, as input to its Trade and Transport Facilitation Programme.