Chirundu teaches vital lessons for future OSBPs

Southern Africa’s only One Stop Border Post (OSBP) has in its first year of operation had its fair share of problems, proving to be a steep learning curve for roleplayers and stakeholders. According to Barney Curtis, executive director of the Federation of East and Southern African Road Transport Associations (Fesarta), the Chirundu OSBP has experienced many teething problems since becoming operational in December 2009. Linking Zambia and Zimbabwe, the border post on the North-South corridor, one of the main trading routes in Africa, sees between 300 and 400 trucks crossing through it everyday. “The process to convert Chirundu to an OSBP started about ten years ago,” says Curtis. “This border post was identified and earmarked as the pilot phase of the one stop border post initiative in southern Africa.” But, he says, it has not been smooth sailing. “Getting it up and running took time and the opening was postponed several times.” Finding resources and budget to make the necessary infrastructural changes were all part of the challenge – needing political buy-in from both countries. But, says Curtis, since becoming operational there have been many problems that were never even envisaged. “One of the critical issues has been that authorities from two different countries are now suddenly working in one office and have to work together. This has not been as easy as initially envisaged.” In a progress report on the border post, Trademark Southern Africa states that the opening of Chirundu as an OSBP had been made more difficult than it should have been because it was not physically – in terms of building lay-outs and traffic plans – designed as an OSBP. But according to Curtis, Chirundu has despite the problems and challenges played a significant role as it has allowed everyone involved to learn valuable lessons that will come in handy with the opening of the next OSBP. These lessons include the fact that it would be much more simple to operate an OSBP if it was designed as one from the start, that political buy-in is a must and change management is crucial for employees.