{ZAMBIA and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have agreed on a common list of products eligible to trade under the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Simplified Trade Regime (STR).}<\/p>\n
The decision was arrived at during a bilateral meeting which was held between Zambia and DRC from June 2 to 4 2015 which was facilitated by the COMESA secretariat in partnership with the Africa Development Bank (AfDB) and European Union (EU).<\/p>\n
This is contained in a statement issued in Lusaka and made available to Times of Zambia at the weekend.<\/p>\n
The meeting was attended by senior Government officials from the two countries, members of the Cross Border Traders’ Association (CBTA), Cross Border Network Africa and other cross border trade-related Small and Medium Entrepreneurs (SMEs).<\/p>\n
“The DRC will further hold bilateral meetings with Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda to agree on common lists.<\/p>\n
“An inter-ministerial meeting between the DRC Ministries of Commerce and Finance will then be held to issue an inter-ministerial order regarding the implementation of the COMESA STR.<\/p>\n
The agreed common lists will be annexed to the decree,” states the statement.<\/p>\n
The endorsed lists would be gazetted in both countries by September 30, 2015 and the threshold agreed on by both parties will not exceed US$2000 per crossing.<\/p>\n
The traders would be expected to complete a simplified customs document to be filled in at the border post and certified by custom officials.<\/p>\n
The products on the agreed STR common list would have to comply with the normal food safety, plant and animal health regulations including environmental protection, a point emphasised by both Governments to the CBTAs.<\/p>\n
“All products on the common list will still have to meet the Sanitary and Phyto sanitary (SPS) and other standard requirements to be traded.<\/p>\n
All products that are not on the agreed common list will follow the normal trade procedures,” it said.<\/p>\n
The two countries will conduct sensitisation and awareness workshops for the traders and border officials at border posts.<\/p>\n
Zambia and DRC are committed to making regular follow ups to ensure the STR is implemented in the shortest possible time.<\/p>\n
{{Agencies}}<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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