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Government to open talks with Zimborders

22 Dec, 2017 - 00:12 0 Views

eBusiness Weekly

Cabinet has directed the commencement of negotiations between the Government and Zimborders, a consortium which won the contract to upgrade Beitbridge Border Post.

This follows initial reservations that Cabinet had raised over the investor shortlisted to undertake the multi-million project of the southern Africa business port of entry.

Zimborders won the bid ahead of other two competing investors and recommendations were made to the Cabinet, which is understood to have questioned the financial and technical capacity of the consortium to undertake the massive project although it was suspected at that time that the disagreements were based on factional lines.

“The negotiations could not go ahead because the Cabinet was divided over the investor and everything was put on ice.

“But there has been a signal from the Cabinet that we should start negotiations with the preferred bidder,” a source who spoke on condition of anonymity told Business Weekly.

“It appears there is change of mind after the Cabinet initially raised concerns over the investor.”

Efforts to get a comment from Minster of Transport and Infrastructure Development Jorum Gumbo were fruitless.

Beitbridge Border Post handles most of the traffic to and from South Africa, which is also Zimbabwe’s single biggest trading partner. It is estimated that at least $100 million is required to upgrade and modernize the border post to meet international standards.

The upgrade and expansion of the border post will encompass an upgrade of the road network to and from the border post, perimeter fencing and gate control infrastructure, parking areas, commercial centre, staff accommodation, weigh-bridge, upgrading of communication, security and lighting systems, computerisation and construction of a new bridge among others.

It would also expedite processes ahead of implementation of the one-stop border post concept between Zimbabwe and South Africa.

Beitbridge, being the regions busiest entry point, continues to be a major bottleneck to the smooth flow of traffic due to inadequate facilities.

Research has shown that Southern Africa has witnessed an increase in the volume of commercial and private cross-border traffic. This has put pressure on inland ports of entry as well as sea ports with Beitbridge Border Post handling the largest volume of traffic in Southern Africa.

However, there has been no significant infrastructure development in the past decade. Incidences of smuggling and other illegal activities have increased.

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