Cross Border

Volume 1 | Issue 1
The
February | March 2019
A CBTA Publication 1
Magazine
Page 6
Zambia mounts small scale Cross Border data collection. It is a...
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The Cross Border
THE ZAMBIAN ASSOCIATION OF JUNIOR RESEARCHERS
The Cross Border
Volume 1 | Issue 1
The
February | March 2019
A CBTA Publication 1
Magazine
ENABLING NATIONAL, REGIONAL AND GLOBAL IMPACT
High
quality
research
Cross
border
magazine
Policy
engagement
ZAJR
Governance
issues
Book
publishing
Poverty
eradication
AUTHOR Dr. PETER KAYULA
VICE PRESIDENT | ZAJR
Trade, Investmest and African
Society (K170)
Rumour of an Angel (K150)
The overall mission of ZAJR is to provide high quality research services contributing
generally to the advancement of knowledge and where pertinent applying that
knowledge to the technological, economic and social problems of humanity, assisting
Zambia as well as the world in development and enriching the culture life of the global
citizens.
CONTACTS: +26 0963 487 122 | +26 0975 774 017 | +26 0974 027 029 | +26 0977 596 145
Zambia mounts small scale Cross Border data collection. It is a...
MILESTONE
Publishers- : Zambia Association of Junior
Reserchers (ZAJR) and Cross Border Traders
Association (CBTA)
Distributors:
Cross Border Traders Association (CBTA) and
Zambia Association of Junior Researchers
(ZAJR)
Executive Partner:
Mr. Julius Mugode |Cross Border Traders
Association
Executive Editor:
Dr. Peter Kayula |Zambia Association of
Junior Researchers
Managing Editor:
Ms. Milika Tembo | Zambia Association of
Junior Researchers
Editorial Consultant:
Prof. Patrick F. Manda |Zambia Association of
Junior Researchers
Design & Layout:
Kgwara Media (+260 96 022 3595/
+260 97 121 2290)
All Kasumbalesa Pictures are courtesy of
Central Statistical Office (CSO)
Published By-monthly
Page 4
For advertisements and article
submission contact us:
Milika Tembo | 92milikat@gmail.com |
+260 975 774 017
Mr. Julius Mugode | cbtanec@gmail.com |
+260 963 807 085
CONTENTS
4 | Editorial
5 | CBTA Acting Chairman General’s
Statement
6 | Zambia mounts small scale cross
border trade data collection
7 | The cbta at 20: this house should not
fall ...it must and should stand
10 | Women in Cross Border Trade: The
paradox
12 | Fresh dawn for formal Cross Border
Trade flows coming
14 | Breaking new ground: An agenda for
poverty reduction in Africa
16 | Understanding the smugglers
18 | Regional Integration takes centre
stage at Kigali forum
19 | Cross Border Traders’ Association in
brief
20 | THE ERA OF DIGITAL TRADE
21 | Let’s get trading across borders
22 | Information Exchange and
Networking: Regional Initiative in
Eastern and Southern Africa
23 | CBTA 2019 NATIONAL CONGRESS FOCUS
24 | Cross Border Trade activities picture
profile: Kasumbalesa border post
26 | CBTA MOURNS CHAIRMAN GENERAL
CHILONGA
2 | February | March 2019 The Cross Border The Cross Border February | March 2019| 3

The Cross Border
The Cross Border
THE EDITORIAL
CBTA Acting Chairman General’s
20 TH ANNIVERSARY OF CBTA:
ENHANCING THE VALUE CHAIN
The Cross Border Traders
Association (CBTA)
conference marking 20
years of cross border trade
facilitation and support service is
important for two reasons: it has
proved the need for, and enthusiasm
for the association.
It has also once again brought
together the association members,
partners and arguably key players
from across the sub region to share
a common vision and to enhance the
welfare of the small scale cross border
traders relying on the improvements
in productivity, reduced cost of doing
business and policy support.
The theme of the conference,
‘’Growing CBTA Membership, entrenching
Good Governance, Partnership and trade
support’’, has been planned with key
partners in mind to address the cross
border trading challenges using various
instruments implemented in the last few
years.
In as far as limited resources among
the CBTA and cross border traders are
concerned, strategies aimed at achieving
cross border trading sustainability will not
be successful unless they are compatible
with strategies for increasing trade
formalisation. The last 20 years has
exposed serious deficiencies in traditional
small scale cross border trading and we
urge the CBTA management to move
forward with open hands.
The use of local knowledge and
experience in solving problems is
important in this respect.
The importance of institutionalising
the cross border traders’ association into
regional facilitation and support service is
equally emphasized.
The inability of the Cross Border
Traders’ Association (CBTA) to bring
about expected small scale cross border
traders’ growth, infrastructure upgrade,
sustainable support service and credit
scheme for members is also noted with
dismay.
The congress in real sense now
provides a diagnostic phase of cross
border traders association to appraise its
mission and objectives, Including policy
engagement with the stakeholders.
The small scale women cross border
traders should be the focus of the Cross
Border Traders’ Association given their
often complex responsibility of looking
after children and often lack of capital
resources.
Cross border trading can be an
important contributor to household
income and often a source of funds.
The case of accommodating women
cross border traders within the Cross
Border Traders’ Association (CBTA)
structure is valid and links well with
national strategies aimed at developing
women within the context of the social
norms and culture.
An error must not be made to bridge
the gap between the long term cross
Milika Tembo (Managing Editor)
92milikat@gmail.com
border trade institutional vision and the
short term socio-economic rationale
of trade using trade facilitation and
participatory tools.
The Cross Border Traders’ Association
(CBTA) should evolve to strengthening
the value chain-key partners mainly
the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and
Industry (MCTI), the Common Market for
Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA),
THE European Union, the USAID, the
International Organisation for Migration
(IOM) The FINNISH Embassy, The
Germany Technical Assistance (GIZ),
the central Statistical Office (CSO)
, the Zambia association of Junior
Researchers (ZAJR) and the cross
border traders themselves, among others.
The objective of the conference is now
to create a link of value chain in which
the primary intention or desire is one
or more of the following: cooperation,
sustainability, productivity and efficiency.
Cross border trade firstly supports
improved living standards for those
involved in the activity. Secondly, it places
additional income in the hands of the
actors who spend a substantial time
crossing borders and thirdly it generates
both employment and economic growth
(Vink and Van Rougen 1990).
The CBTA has now achieved
consideration expertise in dealing with
this issue, especially in view of the value
chain at hand.
Statement
Welcome to the first issue of the Re-branded
Cross Border Magazine.
This magazine will be driving the
advocacy and communication platform
of cross border traders including those
considering to venture into cross border
trading.
It is our interest as Cross Border Traders
Association (CBTA) to recognise that, for a long time,
our stakeholders have had a silent voice and we aim
to be loud enough to meet their trade information
needs through this magazine. However, we can only
achieve this if we objectively work together without
fear or favour. Our desire is to create awareness in
terms of cross border trade.
I am pleased to note that this magazine will
demonstrate a unique platform endeavouring to give
analytical, informative, broad based, educative and
communicative articles as per our Editorial policy.
The articles will arguably stimulate informed
debates and create a platform for exchanging ideas
on issues that affect the facilitation of cross border
business, trade policy, cross cutting issues in gender,
regional integration, among others.
As CBTA marks its important milestone of 20
years’ anniversary, I am confident that the magazine
will drive the opportune message to our core
stakeholders and will adequately contribute to
ensuring our theme of ‘’Growing CBTA MEMBERSHIP,
entrenching Good GOVERNANCE and Building
PARTENERSHIP for Trade and Support’’ is realised.
The magazine has come at the right time and will
be key in promoting cross border trade information
services.
On behalf of the editorial board, I encourage every
well-meaning cross border trader to contribute writer
ups and any valued additions such as testimonies
or experiences, that will contribute to the growth of
Goodson Mbewe
the magazine. it is significant that we all collectively
play our part so as to meet our common effort
and become more efficient and effective. I further
encourage the editorial team to work closely with
cross border traders, Trade Information Desk officers
and CBTA and its partners.
We should all appreciate that this platform belongs
to all of us and is contributing to smooth flow of cross
border trade by being a voice of the voiceless and
educating small scale cross border traders on cross
border trade facilitations.
As CBTA, we are committed to respond to
challenges that come with cross border trade and
the magazine will be amongst the many ways we
will face the new challenges in the quest to create
a favourable trading environment for all participants.
This magazine is a unique symbol of pride as well as
an integral part of cross border trade life not only
along the borders of Zambia but the Africa as a
region.
Let me also acknowledge the CBTA partners,
namely; the Common market for Eastern and
Southern Africa (COMESA), United Bank of Africa
(UBA), European Union (EU), USAID Southern Africa
Trade and Investment HUB, Zambia Association
of Junior Researchers (ZAJR), Zambia’s Central
Statistical Office (CSO), Germany Society for
International Cooperation (GIZ), International
Organisation for Migration (IOM), Ministry of
Commerce Trade and Industry (MCIT), Zambia
Revenue Authority (ZRA), Zambia Development
Agency (ZDA), Zambia Governance Foundation
(ZGF), amongst others. We can only remain thankful
by faithfully remaining committed to ensuring we
religiously work towards achieving our common goal.
4 | February | March 2019 The Cross Border The Cross Border February | March 2019| 5

The Cross Border
The Cross Border
Zambia mounts small scale cross
border trade data collection
BY STAFF WRITER
The Zambian Government
through the Central Statistical
Office (CS0) has started
collecting data on small
scale cross border trade in order to
capture the transactions involving
goods under the informal trade
arrangements.
The move arguably secures the
Southern African country a major source
of trade statistics and opens up a new
annex for formal cross border trade
development process.
The long awaited exercise, which is
being conducted under the provisions of
Section 14 of the Census and Statistics
Act, Chapter 127 of the Laws of Zambia,
is a triumph for the cross border trade
development campaign.
According to the manual released by
the CSO, international trade information
is crucial in monitoring the flows of
resources across international boundaries
and is used for compilation of balance
of payments and national accounts
statistics.
‘’The need for comprehensive, reliable,
consistent and complete trade statistics
cannot therefore be emphasized. Further,
trade statistics are key in monitoring
the performance of the trade sector
and formulation of sound trade policies
necessary for economic development.
The information is also used for regional
economic integration as well as for
setting trade disputes, monitoring trade
agreements and for computation of
import and exports indices, the manual
observes.
Under the United Nations (UN) general
framework of compiling International
Merchandise Trade Statistics (IMTS),
all goods entering or leaving a country
are recorded in external trade statistics,
except transit goods. At the moment,
the Customs Department of Zambia
Revenue Authority (ZRA) collects data
for formal trade transactions using the
Single Declaration Document (SDC) and
“The need for comprehensive, reliable, consistent and
complete trade statistics cannot therefore be emphasized.
Further, trade statistics are key in monitoring the
performance of the trade sector and formulation of sound
trade policies necessary for economic development. The
information is also used for regional economic integration as well
as for setting trade disputes, monitoring trade agreements and for
computation of import and exports indices, the manual observes.
MR. Goodson Mbewe-Acting Chairman
Customs Excise (CE) forms submitted by
clearing agents on behalf of exporters
and importers. However, transactions
involving inflow or outflow of goods
under informal trade arrangements
remain unreached.
The manual further explains that,
Small Scale Cross Border Trade (SSCBT)
contributes significantly to income
generation and job creation for a vast
part of Zambia’s poor population that
would otherwise be excluded from any
economic activity. SSCBT also contributes
to deficit and remote areas. It is therefore
important that SSCBT transactions are
captured in order to provide accurate
statistics for assessing the performance
of the trade sector for any given country.
The CSO will conduct surveys and
monitor small scale cross border trade
flows at selected border crossings of
Chirundu (Zambia/Zimbabwe), Mwami/
Mchinji (Zambia/Malawi), Nakonde
(Zambia/Tanzania) and Kasumbalesa
(Zambia/Democratic Republic of Congo).
The cbta at 20: this house should
not fall…it must and should stand
…among the most critical challenges facing the association are
members’ mobilisation, financial resources, infrastructure and
unacceptable high levels of cross border traders’ illiteracy
By Staff Writer
The good news brought by
this magazine is that we are
on the threshold of another
history. The Cross Border
Traders’ Associations (CBTA) 20
years’ milestone and marvellous
congress gets underway in Lusaka,
Zambia in February, 2019.
We hope that after this congress,
the CBTA will be an efficient vehicle to
promote the welfare of the cross border
traders including manifestation of far
reaching areas like trade facilitation,
support service and policy engagement
with various governments and
stakeholders in the Common Market for
Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA),
The East African Community (EAC)
6 | February | March 2019 The Cross Border The Cross Border February | March 2019| 7

The Cross Border
The Cross Border
and the Southern African Development
Community (SADC) regions.
The fact that the congress will bring
together over 60 delegates from 10
Provinces of Zambia, six from the
COMESA, regional CBTAs and at least
10 invited guests from key stakeholders,
should contribute significantly towards
effective regional networking.
It is very encouraging that such
a wide spread of representation has
been achieved without restrictions.
The conference will definitely be
characterised by the excellence of the
papers to be presented. The opening will
be a particular high note with excellent
addresses by invited guests and key note
speaker.
The conference offers an opportunity
to adopt strategies to observe and
understand the small-scale cross border
trading environment in Eastern and
Southern Africa. There is also need to
exploit the potential areas of cooperation
between the modern large and traditional
small scale cross border sectors of the
region.
As far as limited resource small scale
traders in low income countries are
concerned, strategies aimed at achieving
economic sustainability will not be
achieved unless they are compatible and
closely linked to strategies for increasing
and developing the small scale cross
border trade.
In comparison with the approaches
such as appropriate technology, basic
human needs, the characteristic of the
CBTA operations provide a potentially
powerful means of employing scarce
resources to improve the cross border
trading productivity to guarantee
sustainability.
The CBTA’s new mandate now should
evolve to address sustainability from
‘focus to trading’ to a livelihood system
thus placing the small scale cross border
traders, especially women at the centre
stage of sustainability both economical
and environment.
The linkage between the technologies
already available and those that could
be generated, the resource base and
the trading system, suggest appropriate
steps towards sustainability. This calls for
a multi-disciplinary approach combining
technical, socio-economic, and policy
issues if an impact on cross border trade
is to be achieved.
The Cross Border Traders’ Association
(CBTA) was established to serve the
needs of resource poor cross border
traders. Over the last decades, a rich set
of experiences with small scale traders
in Eastern and Southern Africa have
accumulated. This experience has been
beneficial and its relevance beyond single
households can be built on in addressing
the related issues-as identified at
the congress-that are critical to the
development of the traders.
The Cross Border Trader’s
Association’s ability to serve the
small-scale cross border traders is
the reason for its existence and its
mission. The congress goes a long way
in strengthening the need to develop
appropriate trade facilitation and support
services strategies.
The congress should equally be a
diagnostic stage of understanding the
cross border trade system, identifying
constraints, opportunities and trade
development priorities.
A former African Correspondent of
the British Independent Newspaper, Karl
Maier, entitled his book, This House Has
Fallen, that was in 2000 when he was
grappling with Nigeria in crisis. However,
many years after this, the house
(Nigeria) has not fallen despite the crisis
that persisted and even deepened.
Similarly, this house, the CBTA, must
stand and should not fall amid whatever
crisis. This is precisely because the
consequences of a fallen house are
better imagined than witnessed!
8 | February | March 2019 The Cross Border The Cross Border February | March 2019| 9

The Cross Border
The Cross Border
Women in Cross Border Trade:
The paradox
Recent events on the
world development
stage are increasing
efforts to improve the
lives of women…
By MILIKA TEMBO
Women have been key
participants in cross
border trade despite the
many challenges they
encounter
However, the gendered challenges
associated with their trans-border trade
have been insufficiently addressed and
given lesser prominence.
Organisations that deal with cross
border trade have not done enough to
establish a favourable environment for
women traders. For this reason, many of
them have fallen prey to the horrifying
acts that come with trans-border trade.
Security, in case of murder, theft
and fraud reflects a major challenge in
the smooth flow of their business. This
widespread disparity has brought more
negative implications in the sector that
has facilitated for poverty alleviation in
our pervasive economically challenged
society.
In June 2018, a Malawian business
lady Florence Chathyoka Sinsamala
(MHSRIP) was killed by thugs at the
South African border of Bert Bridge as
she was travelling to the rainbow nation
for business.
This proved to be amongst many of
the security risks encountered by women
especially in foreign countries as they
engage in cross border trade. From the
interviews the writer had with several
women cross border traders, complaints
of South Africa being at the core of
security risks were announced.
It is therefore one of the duties of the
Cross Border Traders Association (CBTA)
to converse with all the governments,
especially the South African, to formulate
and implement policies that provide
for the safety of cross border traders
particularly women who are seen as the
most vulnerable in this regard.
Lack of information, by most traders
of the trading countries has equally been
a challenge resulting to acquiring shoddy
goods as well as buying goods at an
exaggeratedly expensive price. There is
need to create awareness to the traders
on how different countries undertake
Acting SG, Christine Sikombe Phiri
their trading activities and provide them
with information on their respective
culture, language and currency.
Women being major players in small
scale cross border trade and maximally
contributing to the total Gross Domestic
Product (GDP), it is adversely significant
that they are imparted with the
necessary knowledge so that they are
able to make informed decisions.
Speaking at the ninth annual women
for women international 2017 luncheon
on Park Avenue United States, then
United States presidential aspirant Hillary
Clinton said, ‘’women’s rights are the
unfinished business of the 21st century,
so are the specific barriers that impede
their economic activities and discourage
them to thrive as women entrepreneurs.’’
While healthy organisations are
fighting the spread of HIV/AIDS, cross
border traders have been engulfed in
the midst of the spread of the disease.
Some traders have engaged into ‘sex
for goods trade’ with the aim of getting
more goods with less/without money
and boosting their businesses at the
faster rate.
In a number of cases, foreign suppliers
offer to sleep with the women traders
in exchange of goods. This unthinkable
move has heavily contributed to the
spread of HIV/AIDS and many other
sexually transmitted diseases. This is a
dreadful challenge that most women
have faced in their quest to conquer the
unbelievably high poverty levels not only
in Zambia but Africa as a whole. As cross
border trade is not only a trading activity,
but a migration activity, many diseases
have been transmitted across nations
because of the scope of international
movements.
Corruption has equally not spared
the cross border trading environment
especially at border posts. Many traders
contribute to vast corrupt activities at
border posts due to lack of information
and not having enough resources
required to facilitate cross border trade.
While others are involved in financial
bribery activities at border posts, others
pay in kind to customs officers. Women
have been victims of sexual harassment,
sexual exploitation and sexual violence
exposing them to sexually transmitted
diseases. Notwithstanding, long and
cumbersome procedures with customs
have been a hindrance to the smooth
functioning of the business as most
traders cross several borders taking two
or more days on the road. Excessive
delays at the border points affects
business and can limit the expansion
of women’s trade. Poor women are the
most affected with this vice as they fail
to buy their way through the difficulties
of crossing the border. Whatever happens
at border post has an impact on the
facilitation of trade especially for women
who are mostly key caretakers of their
families.
It is our (women) indispensable appeal that
women are to be considered first at border posts
to avoid delays which mostly result into sexual
exploitation amongst others. We are living in
a society where women play a vital role in the
moral building of the families as well as ensuring
our families have been provided for.
Furthermore, little knowledge on
custom policies is known by the traders
hence most of them involve themselves
into smuggling and payment of custom
duties on goods that are not supposed to
attract duty.
Complicated documents that have to
be filled by traders have equally been
another major challenge, especially
that most women are either illiterate or
semi illiterate. Education is a luxury that
most small scale cross border traders
cannot afford. It is therefore imperative
that necessary authorities provide for
training and capacity building so as to
accommodate traders with information
that would be beneficial to develop their
businesses.
Border points should also ensure
transparency in rules and regulations by
writing them in different languages to
allow traders to know their rights.
Cross border trade is still considered informal
trade and is not well documented. This makes it
difficult to use evidence based research to lobby
for specifics changes that would ease trade for
women cross border traders (M. A. Bukachi,
2012).
10 | February | March 2019 The Cross Border The Cross Border February | March 2019| 11

The Cross Border
The Cross Border
Fresh dawn for formal Cross
Border Trade flows coming
By Staff Writer
Zambia’s Central Statistical
Office (CSO) with support
from the Common Market
for Eastern and Southern
Africa (COMESA), through
Regional Integration Support
Mechanism (RISM) Project II,
funded by the European Union
(EU) and coordinated by Ministry
of Commerce Trade and Industry
(MCTI), has started a baseline
survey on the Small Scale Cross
Border Trade (SSCBT) activities and
is working in collaboration with the
CBTA, as the continent wrestles with
Julius Mugode | CBTA manager, Dina Ndhlovu | CSO Statistician, Joseph Tembo, | CSO Assistant Director-Economics and Finance, David Sakala |CSO
statistician, Evans Kaonga | CBTA Accounts officer
the worst ever informal cross border
trade in many years.
At the data collection training
workshop held in Chingola in December
last year, CSO Acting Assistant Director
(Economic and Financial Statistics
Division) Mr. Joseph Tembo informed
participants of the importance of the
training as it was a key process to
data collection. He stressed on the
significance of small scale cross border
trade statistics and how its contribution
would give a complete magnitude of
Zambia’s international trade statistics.
In the same vain Mr Anthony Walakira,
a Consultant at COMESA informed
the participants that there were two
activities to run back to back, and
that the first one was on SSCBT data
collection while the second one that is
funded by the EDF-11 project focuses
on border profiling with gender specific
indicators. He further informed the
participants that the two activities
were the first of a series of similar
activities planned for under EDF-11 to be
conducted in the other project countries.
He noted that the instruments developed
by CSO Zambia vis-a- vis the Paper And
Pen Interview (PAPI) questionnaire and
Computer Assisted Personal Interview
(CAPI) application, in collaboration
with COMESA, when finalized would be
replicated in other project countries as
well.
In Kigali Rwanda, a trade and
investment expert says the small scale
cross border survey project being done
by the Zambian Government through the
CSO is the best for Africa and for the
world.
Ibrahim Hussein told The Cross Border
Magazine in a telephone interview from
Kigali, that the CSO in Zambia together
with its partners is doing a very good job
under very difficult circumstances and he
understands the importance of statistics
and the commitment being made
towards the development of small scale
cross border trading.
‘’ Zambia will be the first of others in
this continent and will have the support
of others. I am sure the CSO will play an
important role in the cross border trade
development in the years to come.’’
The main objective of the SSCBT
survey is to collect information on the
magnitude of unrecorded trade between
Zambia and her neighbours, with
regards to Small Scale Cross Border
Trade. The expected outputs of the
survey include; sufficient information
on informal trade transactions that is
necessary for improving the coverage
and completeness of external trade
statistics database; and review export
performance of Zambia in terms of
the product basket, growth of leading
informal export products and the
dynamics of international demand for the
products. The data will be merged with
the Customs Asycuda data to come up
with the total value of Zambia’s trade
with the rest of the world.
A feasibility study on four border posts
namely; Kasumbalesa, Nakonde, Mwami
and Chirundu was undertaken from the
12th to the 24th of August. The findings
from the study were to be used to select
the borders from which data would be
collected as well as conclude on the
survey instruments and methodology on
data collection.
The CSO survey has been welcomed
as a potentially landmark moment in
informal cross border trade development
in Sub Saharan Africa.
One expert says the survey could
result in far reaching benefits. Chris
Mitcham, former consultant for Africa
Cross Border Trade Alliance based in
South Africa says, “our cross border
trade research division began developing
systematic data software to tackle
this issue in 2004 and ended up with
us relaxing three years later. This is a
milestone for CSO.”
This is the second time Mr Mitcham
has highlighted work on the complexity
of small scale cross border trade. The
first was at the trade and investment
conference in 2010 held in Europe
when he used the first book asking the
conference to pay much attention to
the problems of small scale cross border
trade in Africa.
The Africa Cross Border Trade Alliance
provides information and support service
to poor resource, informal cross border
One expert says the
survey could result in
far reaching benefits.
Chris Mitcham,
former consultant for
Africa Cross Border
Trade Alliance based
in South Africa says,
“our cross border
trade research
division began
developing systematic
data software to
tackle this issue in
2004 and ended up
with us relaxing three
years later. This is a
milestone for CSO.
traders who transverse borders with their
merchandise carried on their heads.
“No matter how big or small an
organisation is, when dealing with
informal cross border traders which
includes human mobility, migration and
border management, information, policy,
procedure, statistics and support services
must always be put in place,” he said.
12 | February | March 2019 The Cross Border The Cross Border February | March 2019| 13

The Cross Border
The Cross Border
Breaking new ground: An agenda
for poverty reduction in Africa
By Staff Writer
African countries such as
Ghana, Senegal, The
Gambia and Ethiopia
stand out as having made
significant reductions in the
proportion of people living below
$1.25 per day, The Cross Border
Magazine has learnt.
This revelation comes less than 10
years after Peter Lawrence wrote that
many African countries have, however,
made little progress and even those
that have enjoyed relatively high rates
of growth across the major sectors,
have seen greater inequality leaving
the same or even greater numbers in
poverty.
Lawrence states in The Thinker
Magazine 2009 edition that, civil
wars, drought and floods have also
contributed to placing more people
below the poverty line.
The millennium declaration
of 2000 listed eight Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) for 2015.
The first of these was to produce by
half the number of people living on
the equivalent of $1.25 per day.
He argues that, ‘’further, the
2009 millennium development report
produced by the United Nations
showed that 58 percent of the
population of Sub Saharan Africa
(SSA) was living on less than $1.25
a day and that by 2005 the latest
date for which data was available the
proportion was 51 percent.
The second goal was to achieve
universal primary education for both
girls and boys and from 2000 to
2007 the enrolment ratio across
Africa had risen from 58 percent to
74 percent.
Whether the 100 percent target
was reached by 2015 is still not
known. The 8th goal, was to develop
a global partnership involving trade
liberalisation, debt reduction and
technology transfer especially in
communication mediated through a
doubling of aid 2005 to 2010.L‘’
Lawrence elaborates, ‘’It is
understood that the above millennium
development goals are important
because achieving this would help to
achieve the other goals of reducing
from a 1990 baseline by two thirds
the under-five mortality rate and
by three quarters the maternal
mortality ratio and beginning to
reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS and
the integration of the principals
of sustainable development into
country policies and programmes and
reversing the loss of environmental
resources.’’
Lawrence further reveals that
poverty reduction in the coutries of
East and South Asia, let alone the old
industrial countries of OECD was not
achieved by setting the Millennium
Development goals like in Africa,
it was achieved through economic
growth resulting from the growth of
productivity in both the agricultural
and industrial sectors accelerated by
technological change.
‘’These accomplishments and
political changes reflected in
increasing democratic activity brought
about poverty reduction and a degree
of economic security for the majority
of households in different ways and
different countries.
What then are the prospects for
poverty reduction?
Much of what is now proposed in the
reports of international organisations was
advocated five decades ago.’’
Investment in rural and urban
infrastructure, investment in agriculture
manufacturing, increasing exports and
encouraging foreign investments were
the main features of most development
strategies.
On top of that, developed countries
were expected to fulfil the target of
transferring 0.7 percent of their Gross
Domestic Products (GDP) to the
developing countries, a target which still
exist today and is still not met.
No specific African country has
been mentioned and neither of them
have made any comments. The role of
the state, the banks and other financial
institutions and of trade was different
too. There is no reason why the Sub
Saharan Africa should be any different.
Lawrence states that observation still
tie agriculture as the most important
economic sector both for food
production and crop exportation. The G8
meeting announced in July 2009 that an
extra $20 billion would be channelled to
African agriculture.
However, much of this appears to be
targeted at research and development
value rather than at provision of inputs
to effect an African green revolution to
increase agriculture activity.
The history of such interventions in
agriculture does not suggest that they
may be any more successful than the
previous ones. What is more likely to be
successful is improving communications
within rural areas and between rural
areas and towns which are major
markets for food.
“The Sub Saharan African coutries cannot forge,’’ Lawrence explains,
‘’an independent industrialisation and are therefore dependant on
inward investment. China and India might invest in manufacturing
activity in the Sub Saharan Africa and of course South Africa has
moved swiftly since 1994 to invest in other parts of the continent
especially in mining, industry and telecommunications. The poor level of
infrastructure developments still militates against a rapid growth of inward
development and this is an area where concerted effort to improve road and
rail communication within sab Saharan Africa is crucial.’’
‘’Creating an environment in industrialisation and are therefore
which farmers have incentives to dependant on inward investment.
produce for sale and cooperate to China and India might invest in
buy inputs and retail their produce manufacturing activity in the Sub
could create the motivation for Saharan Africa and of course South
innovation and increased farm Africa has moved swiftly since
productivity.
1994 to invest in other parts of
Far from that to happen, farmers the continent especially in mining,
must have productive land and land industry and telecommunications.
must be farmed more intensively. The poor level of infrastructure
There is great deal of evidence from developments still militates against a
Kenya in particular that population rapid growth of inward development
pressure in land results in more and this is an area where concerted
intensive use of land within a mixed effort to improve road and rail
farming system in which the use communication within sab Saharan
of animal waste and crop residue Africa is crucial.’’
maintains soil fertility without need But until African governments
to resort into chemical fertilisers. make a concerted attempt to create
There is evidence too that small conditions under which investment
farms can be just as productive can flourish, using as much aid
as large farms, so redistribution as they can squeeze out of rich
of land to those who have little or countries to seriously reduce poverty
none is an important step in poverty will be a pipe drip.
reduction.’’
Lawrence concludes, ‘’there
Yet many governments still believe are strolls in the wind that African
in large farms and extensive farms governments will see the benefits
based in United States model and of cross continental cooperation to
are reluctant to engage into land create the conditions for poverty
reform.
reduction. However, in spite of the
It is not clear yet on what are progress made in several parts of the
the prospects for reducing urban continent, the overall picture is not
poverty as the sub Saharan Africa an optimistic one.’’
manufacturing performance
And sources have told The
has been as valid as agriculture. Cross Border Magazine there are
Manufacturing has always been huge disparities across and within
seen as a driver of economic growth countries in Sub Saharan Africa
and has the possibility of increasing making the continent centre of crisis,
economic growth through technical food insecurity, extreme poverty, high
change.
child and maternal mortality and a
‘’The Sub Saharan African wide spread short fall of most of the
coutries cannot forge,’’ Lawrence Millennium Development Goals.
explains, ‘’an independent
14 | February | March 2019 The Cross Border The Cross Border February | March 2019| 15

The Cross Border
The Cross Border
Understanding the
smugglers
AN UNFINISHED BUSINESS…
By Staff Writer
Trade in Africa is an old activity
dating back to the iron age
period when man’s emergent
metallurgical skill paved
the way for varied agricultural and
their activities which in turn began
to enhance work specialisation in
permanent communities (Oliver and
Fegan 1975).
Thus African trade, as elsewhere, has
evolved and developed with every step in
technological progress.
Researcher Dr Sam K. Kalilunga says
that before the emergence of modern
nation states as defined and protected
under written framework, all trade on the
African continent was not differentiated
between formal (official) and informal
trade.
‘’The advent of a national legal
framework, however, created a marked
differentiation of trade whereby any
international transactions of sale
or purchase carried out without a
trading licence or without following the
country’s existing official documentation
procedures and formalities, are referred
to as informal trade or smuggling.
In its prospective, we see informal
cross border trade as an integral part of
external trade except that it has since
been alienated from the main stream
trade by preclusive formalities that
disadvantage some social groups,’’ Dr
Kalilunga reveals.
In research findings published in
the Impact of Informal Cross Border
Trade in Eastern and Southern Africa,
Dr Kalilunga says, since trade is a core
process of human survival, informal cross
border trade cannot be permanently
stopped by any prohibited policy.
Everywhere in the world attempts to
eliminate informal cross border trade
have remained ineffective because the
essence dimension of trade has been
misunderstood.
‘’The smuggling aspect of informal
cross border trade involves both imports
and exports. In import transactions,
it may involve banned or restricted
products. In more common import
transactions, smuggling is resorted to as
an escape from high tariffs and duties
and restrictive trade regulations.’’
In export transactions, it may also
involve banned products or merchandise
whose export attracts special reviews or
royalties for the government as the case
of gemstones in Zambia.
The people involved in informal
domestic trade can easily be seen
around while they are transacting
business and so the impact of formal
domestic trade can easily be observed
from the results of the activities of its
known participants around us.
However, this is not the case with
informal cross border trade where
those who cross over into neighbouring
countries to do business with their
counterparts often disguise their
undertaking.
Dr Kalilunga argues that, ‘’even
those who declare their transactions to
customs authorities do not open up the
information to the public. Consequently,
the transactions and hidden benefits
involved in informal cross border trade
in Eastern and Southern Africa, as
elsewhere, transpiring under guarded
secrecy, have long remained unrecorded.
A high volume of trade is therefore
excluded from the official view of the
level of economic development of the
country.’’
A commonwealth research team
(1993) in a study on Zambia revealed
that informal cross border trade
was harmful to Zambia’s economic
development in two ways. Goods
smuggled into the country (as imports)
create unfair competition to local
manufacturers and cause a loss of
revenue to Government treasury. As
for exports, they noted that smuggling
deprives Zambia of foreign exchange
and promotes unofficial foreign exchange
trading while reducing the availability of
goods for official export in the case of
gemstones.
While these may be valid arguments,
they are contestable from the standpoint
of enlarging the scope of external trade
and strengthening regional integration.
In the first place, the smuggler is
created by the trade barriers which
hinders some social groups from formal
participation in external trade. If the
smuggler did not break the trade barriers
through his informal trade initiative, the
exports he made would not have been
made.
Therefore, trade restrictions or
controls deny government some tax
revenue. It is therefore plausible to argue
that, Government collects tax from
inputs to the extent it permits those
imports. When the smuggler transacts
trade out of initiative beyond what
the government system permits, the
uncollected tax revenue thus represents
the magnitude of inefficiency inherent in
the existing trade facilitation measures
and instruments.
Informal cross border trade is an
additional channel for generating foreign
exchange stock and often remains
outside official monetary records, it
nevertheless contributes to the flow of
imports into the country, thereby creating
welfare gains for consumers of such
inputs.
Price differences encourage informal
cross border trade if local price is less
than border price of the imported
goods expressed in foreign currency.
Furthermore, if the tariff (duties)
charged on the imported goods results in
significant loss on the transactions made,
into local price below the tax inclusive of
the border line, the informal cross border
trade is enhanced.
Efficient transport system and
telecommunications network are critical
factors in trade. The transport system
and telecommunications network in this
region are inefficient and very expensive.
These impediments cause decline in
transactions of foreign trade. Informal
cross border traders consequently find a
ready market to fill the gap.
Various other constraints affect
industrial supply capacity resulting in
supply shortages in the formal trading
sectors. The result is that product scarcity
crates opportunities for informal cross
border traders.
Varying regularities requirements in
non-residential, include visa and other
immigrant’s documents and stringent
requirements for obtaining them cause
delays on cross border travel and reduce
the efficiency of trading. Consequently,
some people chose to cross the borders
unnoticed in order to fulfil their trade
obligations expeditiously.
Factors which hinder official cross
border trade possibly facilitate informal
cross border trade in eastern and
Southern Africa.
Dr Kalilunga writes, ‘’ given our
circumstances of limited resources and
constrained capabilities, trade is the
basis of human survival. In this regard,
undue and excessive regulates of trade
is a fundamental restraint on human
survival opportunities.
Since informal cross border trade is
basically non-documented (unrecorded)
trade, it is useful to distinguish between
informal cross border traders and formal
cross border traders on the basis of the
bill of entry documents of the commodity
(import/export) and the qualities of
mediatize handled in each consignment.
Fairly into its account informal cross
border traders are distinguishable on the
basis of three functional attributes:
1. Most of them do not obtain and fill in
any supply documentation such as bill
of entry for their merchandise
2. They handle relatively small quantities
of merchandise
3. They travel with (accompany) their
merchandise when imports or exports
Thus informal cross border trade
involves undocumented imports and
exports. There are four brood social
groups among the informal cross border
traders. The group of low income people,
another of middle income people, that
of high income people and the forth
of super income people. The forth is
more sophisticated in their marketing
methodology and are more engaged in
gemstone.’’
16 | February | March 2019 The Cross Border The Cross Border February | March 2019| 17

The Cross Border
The Cross Border
Regional Integration takes
centre stage at Kigali forum
By Staff Writer
The African Chief
Executive (CEO)
Forum has
weighed into the
continent’s regional
integration campaign
calling for a broader
pro idea of a common
market offering the
private sector a unique
opportunity.
During its seventh edition
meeting to be held from
March 25 to 26th, 2019,
in Kigali, Rwanda, the Forum
has decided to unite its 1,500
participants around a transforming
agenda with regional integration at
its heart.
A notice made available to the
Forum ‘s potential participants
and obtained by The Cross Border
Magazine says, for its seventh
edition – 25 and 26 March
2019 – the AFRICA CEO FORUM
has decided to unite its 1,500
participants around a transformation
agenda… What priorities must
be identified to boost the level of
intra-African trade and investment?
What must a united Africa do to
better protect its interests and
industries? How can we mobilize the
private sector around cross-border
infrastructure and logistical projects?
What insights can be drawn from
the East African Community –
considered the most successful
regional model - given the tense
new political waters? How can we
create a truly Pan-African financial
services industry?
“From the United Kingdom’s planned
European Union exit to the trade war
between China and the USA, a divide
is opening up in the global economy. In
contrast, a highly fragmented Africa has
embarked on an accelerated integration
process, with the historic signing in Kigali
in March 2018 of the agreement for the
creation of the Continental Free Trade
Area”.
It says, ‘’A long negotiation phase
is now underway with the aim of
eliminating customs tariffs, but greater
change is needed if this initiative is to
succeed. Logistical and financial barriers,
a lack of inter-government coordination,
the low level of national economic
specialization and the fear of facing
increased competition from companies
based in neighbouring countries are
all factors that hamper intra-African
trade, and explain the modest size of
continental champions”.
And in an interview with
The Cross Border Magazine,
less than a week after the
notice was released by
the Forum, President of
the New Africa Now,
a Non-Governmental
Organisation (NGO)
whose main interest is
to crusade for an open
trade and investment
platform in Africa, says
“we are up against a clear
failure of the regional
integration agenda in
Africa”.
Emmanuel Chukwu, a
Nigerian (66) also called for
change to regional integration
mission, focus and structure
arguing that the idea of the trade
platform is reasonable.
The notice observes that with
Africa struggling to return to
sustained growth, and foreign direct
investment flagging, the ideal of a
common market offers the private
sector a unique opportunity. Indeed,
business must now weigh in on
the ongoing discussions in order
to determine the real priorities for
economic integration and achieve
much-needed changes.
During this two-day event – filled
with some 40 panels, public-private
workshops and case studies –
business leaders, shareholders,
investors, as well as heads of state
and ministers, will discuss these
major topics and address additional
key challenges for Africa’s private
sector, including the representation
of top women executives in the
boardroom and the modernization of
family business governance
Cross Border Traders’ Association in brief
Back Ground
The first Cross Border Traders
Association was formed in Lusaka in
1998 as a regional organization covering
COMESA and SADC Countries. It made a
presentation to COMESA council in 1998
asking them to support the development
of CBTA in member states (MS) and to
introduce a simplified trade regime for all
small scale traders. The summit of heads
of states ratified the formation of CBTA
in May, 1999 in Nairobi Kenya. In 2009
National CBTAs gained momentum
Who we are and Our Mission
Cross Border Traders Association
(CBTA) is a Zambian not-for-profit (NFP)
organisation working within COMESA-
SADC-EAC (Tripartite) region. Its main
purpose is to represent and advocate
for traders especially small to medium
scale cross border traders (SSCBTs).
Our activities include sensitization and
capacity building to empower or develop
their enterprise and thereby improve the
livelihoods of the community they live in.
Where We Operate and Our Members
our Stakeholder
CBTA operates in the sectors of
economic, trade customs and migration
as our members’ traverse borders in the
COMESA SADC and EAC RECs - Regional
Economic Community. CBTA membership
varies along the cross border trade value
chain and extends to foreigners given
the implication of regional integration
in which the CBTA has interest. Our
Stakeholders include ZRA, COMESA,
Ministry of Trade and Home Affairs.
Value Proposition
CBTA has since gained recognition
as a Non State Actor. It complements
Customs and Trade Facilitation for
small scale cross border trade sector
that is largely informal dominated by
women challenged with literacy or lack
of information and limited opportunities
leading to business formalization and
indication of regional integration.
CBTA under immigration Statutes is a
recommender for Cross Border Permit
issuance.
CORE VALUES we aspire to conduct
our engagement internally and externally
through:
• Accountability and Transparency
• Honesty and integrity
• Commitment and Fairness
OBJECTIVES OF CBTA
• Advocate for the removal of trade
barriers, promote the traders’
Charter and for the creation of
enabling trade policies and practices
in the Free Trade Area.
• Network with other Non-State
Actors locally and regionally
to promote cross border
trade instrument harmonisedimplementation.
• Provide information through
education and awareness campaigns
to sensitize cross border traders on
benefits of formalized trade.
• Promote a culture of
entrepreneurship through business
development programs and trade
linkages.
PROJECT PROFILE
• 2009-Regional Food Security Risk
Management (REFORM)-established
COMESA Desk to support Regional
CBTA Platform for Simplified Trade
Regime (STR) projects.
• 2012 IOM Partnership on Migrants
Health, Rights & COMESA Free/Visa
protocols.
• 2014- The Traders Charter Pilot
Project at Mwami by World Bank
(WB)
• 2015-Regional Integration Support
Mechanism(RISM) Finland funded:
three TIDs
• 2016 Entrepreneurship support to
branches support FORMIN Finland
and ZDA.
18 | February | March 2019 The Cross Border The Cross Border February | March 2019| 19

The Cross Border
The Cross Border
There is no question that our nation is at present in great need of technology and
also in need of a response to the issue of digital trade and what we, as Africans,
expect in a culture of digital trade…
THE ERA OF DIGITAL TRADE
BY MILIKA TEMBO
Trade is at the core of increasing productivity and
efficiency of all economies across the globe,
hence the need to be given adequate attention on
how best it can satisfy participants.
Internet service providers have aimed at improving
their internet services at all cost in the quest to promote
effectiveness and efficiency as access to the internet seems to
be ‘the only game left in town’ not only socially but as well as
of trade.
Technology has earnestly promoted a culture of digital
and inclusive trade making the world a global market while
enhancing equal access to the global trading system.
However, little has been done to ensure policies that would
level the playing field for all trade participants across the globe.
With right global policies, the era of digital trade would replace
the traditional bricks-and-mortar cross border trade.
Digital technology has not spared trade as evidenced by
the introduction of e-commerce transforming the face of
global trade may it be goods, services, people and money. The
idea of digital trade has come with vast advantages including
facilitation of globalisation and transforming it which has had a
significant impact on trade.
Barriers of distance and its cost have been replaced by
digitisation of trade as traders can collect information about
a product, place, promotion, price and transact through the
internet in the comfort of their offices/homes.
However, fraudsters have been at par with the development
creating their fake businesses swindling many traders,
especially those new to the system. Barriers of language and
culture have equally been a threat to the development of digital
trade.
The range of goods and services that can be digitally traded
has tremendously expanded such that local traders have had
stiff competition on the world market. For example, many
customers of music and movies have considered streaming live
on the internet establishing a testament of digital technology
rather than buying hard copy CDs from local traders offering
the same business.
Education and health services, among others, have equally
become a digital good that can be traded globally. The era of
travelling across borders in search of such services is now an
option. Online services in almost all sectors are available on the
internet in a variety of languages. The creator of the products
and the customers only interacts digitally with the end result
even being physical. Never the less, national statistical problems
in the race of measurements of national imports and exports
has been encountered as platforms capturing micro traders
have proven difficult to create leading to loss of taxes.
Therefore, building internet government to equivocate both
macro and micro exchange of goods and services across the
globe is as important as the creation of national governments.
It is vital that governments and international trade bodies
collectively harmonise policies governing digital cross border
trade to create cyber security and privacy, proliferate trade
agreements, and ensure uniformed coordinated policies.
Courtesy of Malama Malama
Let’s get trading across borders
Tanzania Vs Congo D.R….
By Milika Tembo
Cross border trade remains
one of the major trends
driving a borderless world
of selling and buying of
goods and services. It has played
a fundamental role in eradication
of poverty through supporting
livelihood and creating employment.
Many small scare traders are
constrained by limited knowledge on
the prices and markets of goods, mode
of transport, accommodation, currency
and language of respective countries.
The Cross Border Trader’s Association
(CBTA) through its re-branded Cross
Border Magazine has created a platform
that will provide cross border traders
with information beneficial to develop
their businesses and in turn contribute to
higher productivity of the sector.
Zambia is land linked to eight
countries namely Angola, Botswana,
the Democratic Republic of Congo,
Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania
and Zimbabwe. Activities of trans
border trade are commonest within
neighbouring countries. However, some
traders prefer to go as far as South
Africa, China and many other countries
across the globe.
Statistics have shown that the Congo
DR border point of Kasumbalesa and
Tanzanian Nakonde are the busiest
attracting traders from all walks of life
engaged in the selling and buying of both
goods and services.
Congo D.R. has a huge market for
village chickens, broilers, goats, dry fish,
eggs, mealie meal and timber while
providing the Zambian market with body
lotions and creams, shoes and chitenge
materials amongst others.
From the border activities, it is clear
that Zambia has more to offer to the
DR Congo in the race of cross border
trade. However, the escalating levels of
insecurity in terms of murder and theft
against foreigners in the Congo D.R. has
unbalanced the participation of trade
between the two countries favouring the
Congolese.
This has prompted the majority
Zambian traders limiting their cross
border trade from within the boundaries
of Zambia.
On the contrary, Tanzania has brought
to the Zambian market many goods
such as clothes, hardware (building and
electrical), rice, vehicles, household items
and hair plaiting services commonly
known as ‘Masai’ whilst Zambia has
in turn taken to the Tanzanian market
groceries especially Trade Kings products
and drinks.
Zambians have traded with Tanzania
peacefully with very minimal crime rates
recorded as compared to those Congo
D.R. Many Tanzanians have settled in
Zambia offering hair ‘Masai’ plaiting
business.
The mode of transport to the dual
nations is either by flight or
buses.
At both border
point, bicycles, wheel barrows and human
beings are used to ferry goods with an
addition of scooters at Nakonde.
Shelter is a basic need for every cross
border trader as he or she engages in
trade. While others stay with relatives or
friends within the trading areas, lodging
is the commonest option.
Tanzania has cheap accommodation
as it has a lot lodges from as low as
K150 while DR Congo has slightly
higher rates of accommodation with the
minimum of K250. Anything less than
this can be said to be less inhabitable for
human beings.
Despite the differences in language
in both the Congo D.R. and Tanzania,
communication has been achieved
through the use of translators. Some
traders have gone against all olds
creating their own employment
just through knowing the common
languages of the dual countries. Swahili
is the commonly used language in both
countries.
Congo D.R. is using two currencies
Congolese Franc (CDF) and United
States Dollar (USD) though USD is the
commonly used. Tanzania on the other
hand, uses Tanzanian Shilling (TZF). The
exchange rate against Kwacha as of
February 2019 is at;
1 ZMW= 136.710 CDF
1 USD= 1 626.08 CDF
1 ZMW= 194.183 TZF
1 USD= 11.91 ZMW
1 USD= 2 313.40 TZN
20 | February | March 2019 The Cross Border The Cross Border February | March 2019| 21

The Cross Border
Information Exchange and Networking:
Regional Initiative in Eastern and Southern Africa
Underlining the Cross Border Traders Association (CBTA) ’s new approach to small
scale cross border trade development is a fundamental realisation of the need for a
much closer and more mature partnership among the traders, stakeholders, partners,
governments and industries.
By staff writer
Despite the efforts of a
few individuals since the
formation of the Cross
Border Traders Association
(CBTA), the communication system
approach in the cross border trade
development has received scant
attention in Eastern and Southern
African region.
The CBTA has now introduced the
concept of information exchange and
networking which will foster greater
regional cooperation and education
among the small scale cross border
traders.
The objective of this information
exchange and networking through the
Cross border magazine is to create a
link, connection or tie between different
institutions in which the primary intention
or desire is one or more of the following:
Cooperation, coordination, integration
or exploitation of complementarity
between various activities.
A number of factors justify serious
consideration been given to the
establishment of information exchange
and networking with the strong cross
border trading landscape emphasis for
Eastern and Southern Africa.
The small scale cross border trade
provides particular opportunities to bring
about economic growth and improve the
quality of life of the traders in Eastern
and Southern Africa.
Increased small scale cross border
trade performs three functions essential
for economic development. Firstly, it
supports improved living standards for
urban and rural households. Secondly, it
places
additional
income in the hands of the
traders who spend substantial portion
of money on their goods. Thirdly, it
generates both employment and income
linkages through the economy.
Increase in business among limited
resource cross border traders in Southern
and Eastern Africa has been generally
unsatisfactory in recent years. However,
the CBTA approach is designed to be of
particular use in helping these traders
who, in many areas, have not received
the attention they deserve.
The relative strengths of
different coutries in the Eastern and
Sothern Africa region reveals some
complementarity implying that mutual
benefit could result from closer
interaction between them.
The regional expertise has been
geared towards technologies for large
scale cross border trade, however, at
present, there is lack of appreciation
from cross border traders and for the
communication approach in the region.
It is necessary to consider, whether
such closer interaction can be brought
about through participation in one of the
networks or collaboration already existing
in the region.
Zambia’s Ministry of Commerce
Trade, and Industry, the Common Market
for Eastern and Southern Africa
(COMESA) and the European Union
are probably the longest standing
of these other collaborative efforts
that relates to the CBTA. Others
include the USAID ‘s Southern Africa
Trade and investment Hub, the
FINNISH Embassy, the International
Organisation for Migration (IOM), the
Central Statistics Office (Zambia) and
the Germany Technical Assistance
(GIZ).
It seems justifiable to set up an
open network an information exchange
with the aim of individuals accessing
exchange information and ideas on
a person to person basis through the
magazine, workshops or conferences.
This has been one of the most important
sentiments expressed in many years of
CBTA activities.
There is overwhelming evidence
that the magazine will make a major
contribution towards the success of the
CBTA story. The magazine has somewhat
also changed in style, becoming more of
a true publication reporting on events,
activities, and personal achievements to
ensure a constant flow of information
and networking between the CBTA
members, partners and collaborators.
Please keep on sending news items,
views, and opinions you want to raise for
discussions. In line with the CBTA mission,
we must strive to improve the lot of our
small scale cross border traders.
The editor also encourages those
who would like to discuss and debate
contentious issues to use the magazine.
Please keep word count to not more than
800 words and note that some pieces
might be edited for length. Send your
contributions to 92milikat@gmail.com.
The Cross Border
CBTA 2019 NATIONAL CONGRESS FOCUS
Preamble
The national congress is an
opportunity to reflect on CBTA
foundational objectives to help us
focus on the vision through our mission
statement and altitude and character of
the organisation that can sustain itself
into unforeseeable future.
The first Cross Border Traders
Association was registered in Lusaka
in 1998 as a regional organization
covering COMESA and SADC Countries.
Since then different regimes have
steered the great CBTA ship over the
years namely: .1998 -2004; 2005 -
2009; 2010 -2013; and the current
2013-2018 CBTA Zambia Chapter.
CBTA Scope defined
CBTA operates in the sectors
of economics, trade, customs and
migration as our members who traverse
borders in the Regional Economic blocs
of SADC-COMESA-EAC now called
Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA). CBTA
Zambia membership varies along the
cross border trade (CBT) value chain
and extends to foreigners given the
implication of regional integration in
which the association has stake under
Regional CBTA (RCBTA).
CBTA beliefs still anchored in
CORE VALUES and INSTITUTIONAL
CHARACTER defined by:
• Advocacy which is at the heart of
CBTA for its members
• Accountability and Transparency (in
leadership Style)
• Honesty and integrity (in public
trust and resources stewardship)
• Commitment and Fairness (in how
we operate as a team)
Objectives of CBTA
All programmes and Key Performance
indicators must have related to
CBTA objectives below:
• Advocate for the creation of trade
policies and practices in the region,
lobby for the removal of trade
barriers and defend the traders
Charter.
• Network with other Non-State-
Actors or like-minded NGOs to
promote policy harmonization in
CBTAs.
• Share information through
educational and awareness
campaigns to sensitize cross border
traders on benefits of formal trade.
• Promote interest of cross
border traders and a culture of
entrepreneurship
• Provide services that include
business development; legal; credit
finance or healthy and safety
updates
2019 Election Mandate
Call
Any Election process given our
democratic dispensation is an
opportunity for communities especially
for grassroots organisations like ours
to participate in the development of
communities and nation at large.
Elections therefore, give everyone
an opportunity not only to choose
but to volunteer or offer themselves
up for leadership roles given their
passion, willingness and belief in the
organisation’s mission.
Noteworthy, leadership is not a
right but a privilege given in trust
to serve diligently for the benefit of
owners – the members who form the
organisation.
In political circles, the relationship
between the voters and leaders is
referred to as a social contract to
deliver on promises made, however,
in case of non-partisan, not for profit
organisation, that social contract is
simply the TRUST-members entrust
in the leaders to deliver for benefit of
the members according to the CBTA
Strategic Plan based on objectives:
mission, Vision and Aims.
We need to give credit to all our past
leaders for steering the ship on course
amid the storms and tsunami waves
and encouragement to the current
leadership who will continue to give the
association legitimate direction.
Fortunately, there is room for
improvement and that improvement
depends on not only on past success
but on how we keep on building on
our average results in our projects
and programmes that are aimed at
sustaining the future of the great CBTA.
Change is inevitable. Our operation
policy environment keeps changing.
What programmes or retrospectively
what key performance indicators can
be identified with us as evidence of
change? Let us not resist change;
Let us express our desire to change
through this election and let us make
the progressive submission towards
constitution amendment.
POST CONGRESS
CHALLENGE
Just after the congress, the
COMESA, SADC, EAC region will be
expected to continue tapping the
Cross Border Traders Association as it
faces a major task of reforming itself.
The new executive will be tasked with
rooting out evident complexities at the
association and to refocus and sharpen
the association.
The CBTA arguably comprises
people who have spent much of their
time inside the association that they
now aim to turn around and seek to
govern the association with more
transparency and accountability than
their predecessors.
Paying much attention to the
challenges and position of women cross
border traders must take place under
the culture of institutional experience
and sustain the long tradition of trade
facilitation and support service balance
that underpins the association.
Post congress reforms are expected
to cover more of corporate governance
and revenue retention which have
become more important. Today.
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The Cross Border
Investment The Cross Briefs Border
Cross Border Trade activities picture profile : Kasumbalesa Border Post
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The Cross Border
CBTA MOURNS CHAIRMAN GENERAL
CHILONGA
By Staff Writer
The Cross Border Traders
Association (CBTA) led
tributes to its late chairman
general Joseph Chilonga who
died on Saturday, 20th December
2018, describing him as a father and
leader who has left footprints on
the sands of CBTA history, on large
part, through his discipline, order
and crusade for formal cross border
trading.
‘’That we shall deeply miss his service
is an understatement, we benefited from
his discipline and order gained from
years of experience in ZCCM” says the
tribute.
Arguably, the CBTA’s senior serving
member, Mr Chilonga was buried on
24th December 2018 in Kabwe where
he used to stay, and his death pushes
the CBTA into ‘passivity’ less than two
months before its first ever congress in
20 years due in February this year.
“This year 2018 his term was coming
to an end and the national congress is
planned. Given the late Mr Chilonga’s
burning passion for the association and
willingness to serve, it will be a misplaced
assumption if he was not going to
volunteer again. Such was his drive,” says
the tribute.
That we shall deeply miss his service is
an understatement, we benefited from his
discipline and order gained from years of
experience in ZCCM” says the tribute.
late chairman general Joseph Chilonga
That his presence which gave the association
dignity, diversity and respect is no more
remains shocking to the family and CBTA
too” says the tribute.
Mr Chilonga joined the CBTA during
the first years of its formation as an
ordinary member and subsequently
came to the national executive in 2013
as its Vice Chairman General.
“That his presence which gave
the association dignity, diversity and
respect is no more remains shocking
to the family and CBTA too” says the
tribute.
Mr Chilonga represented the CBTA
at national and regional platforms.
He was on hand at the International
Organisation for Migration (IOM) global
compact on immigrants meeting.
He also defended the position of
CBTA on border trade matters at the
parliamentary committee sitting late
last year.
Earlier in 2018, he flew into
Zimbabwe (Harare) to represent the
association on border trade issues.
The late chairman, dispensed words
of wisdom in board meetings and he
never failed to give praise where it was
due. He was a firm leader, yet flexible
at the same time, with a high sense of
humour.
“We have lost a committed CBTA
advocate who was ever available all
seasons. We pray to God to provide
and comfort the family” says the
tribute.
On the occasion of the
marking of 20 years of
Cross Border Traders
Activities in Zambia
and the Region, we would like to
convey our congratulations and
appreciations to CBTA for many
achievements the association has
scored in the last 20 years.
The achievements that CBTA has
made in the fields of Small Scale Cross
Border Traders Trade facilitation, support
services and trade policy engagements
cannot be overemphasized. This
The Cross Border
ZAMBIA ASSOCIATION OF JUNIOR
RESEARCHERS (ZAJR)
MESSAGE OF GOODWILL TO
THE CROSS BORDER TRADERS
ASSOCIATION (CBTA)
significant milestone for the organisation
is testimony to the role it has played
in advocating for the removal of trade
barriers, promoting the traders’ Charter
and for the creation of enabling trade
policies and practices in the Free Trade
Area, among others. Similarly, the
rebranding of the Cross Border Traders
magazine has played a vital role in
reaching out to various cross border
traders world over in need of information
on cross border trade so that they are
able to make informed decisions as they
develop their businesses.
Being a small scale cross border
trader today, comes with a lot of
challenges which are of concern and
solicitude to your organisation. We
take this note of many small scale cross
border traders who have come on board
because of the influence of the CBTA
activities. Such is the importance of the
CBTA to the development of Trade in
Eastern and Southern Africa.
We passionately appreciate your
organisation for taking a higher
responsibility of harmonising the interests
of the cross border traders.
We wish you successful deliberations as you
commemorate your 20th Anniversary.
Nakonde Border Pictures
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The Cross Border
February|March 2019
In the next issue of
the Cross Border
Magazine....
Volume 1
The
Magazine
Zambia mounts small scale Cross Border
data collection. It is a... MILESTONE
Page 4
World Trade Organization (WTO)’s
Trade facilitation agreement and the matrix of
trade Reform in Eastern and Southern Africa
Don’t miss the next issue!
Contact: Milika Tembo| +26 0975 774 017 |92milikat@gmail.com
28 | February | March 2019 The Cross Border