COMESA and the European Union have today handed over ICT equipment and metal detectors valued at Euro 120,000 to the Zambia government to be used by the country’s Road Transport and Safety Agency and the Police Service.

The equipment which includes metal detectors and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) devices is part of the implementation of the Zambia Border Posts Upgrade Project. The handover ceremony took place on Friday, 1 September 2023, at the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry in Lusaka, Zambia.

The provision of this equipment is expected to substantially enhance safety and security measures related to trade, goods, and, most importantly, the well-being of the public within the COMESA region. It will have a direct impact on the operations of the three One Stop Border posts, namely Chirundu, Mwami, and Nakonde.

COMESA Assistant Secretary General in charge of programmes Ambassador Dr. Mohamed Kadah, and the EU Programme Manager, Christiane Haziyo, jointly handed over the equipment to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Trade, Ms. Lillian Bwalya, who passed them on to Deputy Inspector General of Police, Ms. Alita Mbahwe and Chief Executive Officer of the Road Transport and Safety Agency, Mr. Amon Mweemba.

In his remarks, Dr Kadah emphasized the importance of securing national borders by delicately balancing effectiveness of control and efficiency in clearance of people and cargo.

“The ICT equipment will help to secure and protect the borders in detecting illegal trade as well as trade in dangerous products and at the same time allow legitimate trade and travel to flow,” he said.

The Zambia Border Posts Upgrade Project is financially supported under the Eleventh European Development Fund (EDF) – COMESA Trade Facilitation Programme, with a total budget of 48 million Euros. This collaborative effort between COMESA and the European Union marks a significant step toward enhancing security and trade facilitation in the region.

The equipment is expected to facilitate the implementation of the Single Window and the Coordinated Border Management under the Zambia Revenue Authority, as lead agency.