Traders Association calls on members to desist from conducting illegal trade at border posts

The Cross-Border Traders Association (CBTA) has urged its members to stop conducting illegal trade at border posts as this practice was negatively impacting government revenue.

Goodson Mbewe, CBTA president, urged Small Scale Cross Border Traders (SSCB) to formalise their businesses and stop dodging paying taxes.

Mbewe emphasised the need for SSCBT to desist from conducting illegal trade at border posts by using the correct point of entry and exit.

He said this on Wednesday at the official launch of the International Trade Centre (ITC)-COMESA Trade Facilitation Training Programme in Lusaka.

“It is high time we made cross border trade as a sector of trade. Cross border traders should stop doing illegal business, let us formalise ourselves, these trainings were also meant to encourage us to use the border.

“Let us use the gazetted routes for both exit and entering. Let us make sure that goods that we import pass through the border. Even if it means paying K1 at borders, let us pay that money so that our governments can improve and provide what we need,” he said.

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The ITC-COMESA Trade Facilitation Training Programme is aimed at raising more awareness on cross border trade for SSCB.

The International Trade Facilitation Training Programme targets to raise awareness for SSCB traders, border officials as well as other relevant entities, and shape behaviours to doing formal and safe trade across borders.

At the same function, ITC Project Manager for the COMESA CBTI, Aklile Mitiku Habtemariam, said the programme had been under implementation over the last several years,

“We are all aware of the importance of information and awareness creation in the business practices and lives of SSCBTs, and giving high importance to such a training programme is thus crucial for a safe and successful cross border trade,” he stated.

Meanwhile, COMESA European Development Fund (EDF) Programme Manager Mshuka Kamwela, was of the view that the training programme would equip participants with knowledge on cross border trading.

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