ZABS to monitor goods at points of entry

A CENTRAL Processing Centre (CPC) to expedite the clearance of consignments imported into Zambia through the various border entry points has been stablished in Lusaka by the Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS).

According to ZABS head of marketing and public relations, Hazel Zulu, the CPC would expedite the clearance of consignments and was in line with the goal of the National Electronic Single Window Project which was initiated earlier in 2016, to ensure efficient trade facilitation, among others.

“We are excited about this development as it will enable us to remotely review all import consignment declarations and take appropriate action in real time,” she said.

Ms. Zulu said ZABS in collaboration with ZRA had on a pilot basis, embarked on the single window online clearance system as part of the National Single window project to facilitate and improve the import and export processing times and reduce the cost of doing business at the Chirundu One Stop Border Post.

She explained that this intervention had proved effective as statistics showed that ZABS had consistently reported higher volumes of inspections and clearance at Chirundu border in comparison to other entry points where the electronic single window system had not been implemented.

“By June this year for instance, Chirundu border post recorded 6,679 import inspections out of the total 10,216 import inspections conducted countrywide. The need to roll out this project to other border points therefore, cannot be overemphasised,

“So far Katima Mulilo, Kazungula, Victoria Falls and Livingstone Port offices have been connected to the electronic single window clearance system while Ndola, Nakonde, Chanida and Mwami will be connected by end of September,” she said.

The CPC mirrors is the system used by the Zambia Revenue Authority in the clearance of goods.

The CPC which was established last month allows ZABS to expedite the clearance of low risk products which may not require physical inspection at the border.