Luanda - The Secretary of State for Land Transport, Jorge Bengue, on Monday pointed out the lack of harmonisation of road transport legislation and the simplification of procedures as the main impediments to an integrated circulation of the SADC region.

According to the leader, cross-border road traffic in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) faces several barriers and challenges for passengers and freight transport.

Speaking at the opening session of the 9th SADC Cross-Border Road Transport Regulators Forum (CBRT-RF), he said the objective of the meeting is to identify and eliminate barriers in the border process. 

Jorge Bengue also pointed out the low quality and in some cases absence of infrastructure, the differentiation of customs duties, access to border visas for truck drivers and the training of technicians as barriers to integration. 

The official called on delegates from member countries to identify barriers and take solutions to local governments, in order to promote regional development.

'This forum should create conditions to facilitate trade between member states, to continue to promote development, as well as the circulation of transport as a determining factor for the achievement of regional integration,' he said.

In turn, the chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Land Transport Agency (ANTT), Énio Costa, considered that the forum aims to promote trade facilitation through harmonised, efficient, safe and less bureaucratic circulation.

The also president of the Forum of Cross-Border Transport Regulators of the region, said there are still several challenges to overcome, pointing out non-tariff barriers, border congestion and security in the cross-border corridor.

The representative of the CBRT-R secretariat, Damter Mabengano, said that the regulators present at the forum should find solutions to promote joint measures to mitigate the problems and boost road traffic for the development of the region.

The 9th Forum of Regulators of Cross-Border Road Transport (CBRT-RF) has the participation of all regulatory entities of the member states and takes place under the motto 'Standardization of Transport Standards at SADC Level'.

The event, which takes place in Luanda until next Wednesday 5 March, aims to provide collaboration and interaction between transport regulators, promoting the implementation of the provisions relating to road transport and traffic

CBRT-RF is a platform for the exchange of information and knowledge, capacity building and development of cross-border road transport policies, laws, regulations, standards and systems. OPF/HDC/DOJ