By Kingsley Jassi:
A blame game characterised Tuesday’s session of the three-day women in cross-border trade conference in Lilongwe where stakeholders are engaging on addressing challenges to doing business.
While authorities like the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) expressed frustration with the rate of smuggling by traders, the cross-border traders could not hide their frustration, accusing the government agencies of abuse.
Several women cited what they rated as abusive experiences including unjustified detentions, numerous road blocks on the roads, high fees and protracted processes among things affecting cross border trade.
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trade protocols
The purpose of the conference, according to President of Cross Border Traders Association (CBTA) Steve Yohane, is to come up with practical solutions that can help address the trade barriers and constraints to cross-border trading.
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“Malawi signed several trade protocols but for these protocols to be effective the cross-border traders need to be sensitised and during this conference a number of stakeholders will sensitise the women on these issues,” Yohane said.
Minister of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare Jean Sendeza, who opened the conference on Monday, urged the stakeholders to create awareness among women on customs and other cross-border processes.
“Sometimes it is an issue of awareness because from what we are hearing, some traders choose to smuggle goods because they do not know they don’t even need to pay anything,” she said.
Chairperson of women cross-border traders Margaret Kamchacha hoped that within the three days, stakeholders would identify the key issues for resolution while leaving the women well sensitised on policy issues.
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While MRA admitted the existence of some corrupt officers as it is with other government departments like Immigration and police, there are internal measures being employed to protect institutional integrity.
About 80 percent of cross border traders in the country are women, according to CBTA.
Malawi signed bilateral Simplified Trade Regime agreements under Comesa with Zambia, Zimbabwe and Tanzania and recently an STR agreement was signed with Mozambique.
