President Hakainde Hichilema has urged Zambia, Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to urgently push for key infrastructure projects along the Lobito Corridor to be implemented and for the transport network to deliver on policy commitments of trade, investment and jobs.
Hichilema said there was a need for the three countries to accelerate projects and reforms agreed upon to realize the economic potential of the corridor at the Second Lobito Corridor Coordinating Meeting in Lusaka on Tuesday.
It was a corridor that should be a key to regional connectivity in terms of goods, services, and people flows, and catalyze investment in productive industries in the three countries, he added.
The Zambian President emphasized the importance of making trade in the region faster and cheaper by creating better trade facilitation systems and procedures at the borders.
He urged the creation of one-stop border posts, 24-hour operations at the border and the introduction of digital systems such as single window platforms to ease cross-border trade and eliminate delays to transporters and businesses.
These are likely to increase the efficiency of goods transport, especially for mining companies and goods transport operators in carrying minerals and other products across the country’s borders.
Hichilema also called for more private sector involvement in the development of the corridor, including joint ventures between private sector firms and mining firms operating in the Zambian side of the corridor, especially along the Luakano-Chingola corridor.
His comments underscore the need for government-to-government cooperation and infrastructure providers and private industry to provide the road, rail, and border facilities required to make the corridor commercially competitive.
Zambia’s Finance and National Planning Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane said discussions on the road connectivity on the Zambian leg had been done and the procurement and construction on the corridor leg was anticipated to commence soon.
He said talks on the railway part were ongoing, indicating ongoing efforts to advance the railway infrastructure needed to enhance the movement of goods in the region.
The corridor’s vision is to establish an efficient and cost-effective transport corridor for exporting minerals and facilitate other regional trade in the area, through developing road and railway infrastructure.
Better connectivity may provide logistics firms with an opportunity to increase the volume of goods transported, shorten transport time and enhance connectivity between mining areas, industrial centres and international markets.
But the corridor’s success will not come just from the infrastructure projects but also from coordinated border processes, reliable transportation and the effective implementation of the regional trade processes.
The Lobito Corridor is a railway, road and border infrastructure link between mineral-rich Zambia and the DRC and Angola’s Atlantic port of Lobito.
The road will offer an alternative mode for the export of copper, cobalt and other products to overseas markets.
It has become increasingly important in view of the countries’ and development partners’ desire to diversify export arteries, improve supply chains and enhance trade integration in southern and central Africa.
Aside from transporting minerals, the corridor could also attract investments in warehousing, freight forwarding and cargo handling and manufacturing industries along its path.
Businesses may also benefit from better transport connections to more efficiently reach regional markets and from investment in industries that transform raw materials into products for export.
Hichilema’s call for speedy implementation puts a greater spotlight on the need to realize the corridor’s potential in concrete economic gains.
The next phase in Zambia, Angola and DRC will involve ongoing cooperation to implement infrastructure projects, modernize border processes and encourage private investments.
Implementation of the Lobito Corridor will be key to its success as a competitive regional trade corridor, that provides employment and facilitates the transportation of goods in Africa, towards industrialization.
