Source: Zim-Zambia agree to remove trade barriers – herald
Michael Tome-Business Reporter
ZIMBABWE and Zambia have committed to eliminating tariff and non-tariff trade barriers in a major step towards deepening bilateral economic ties and promoting cross-border trade.
Speaking at the Zimbabwe-Zambia Business Forum in Harare yesterday, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Professor Amon Murwira said the two governments had resolved to move beyond political cooperation towards full economic integration, supported by free trade between the neighbouring countries.
The forum, which ran under the theme “Unlocking Shared Growth: Building Zimbabwe – Zambia Value Chains for Regional Competitiveness”, came ahead of Zambian President Mr Hakainde Hichilema’s scheduled inaugural State Visit to Zimbabwe today.
Prof Murwira said President Mnangagwa had already instructed key ministries, including Finance and Economic Development, Energy and Power Development and Transport and Infrastructural Development, to start implementing measures that would facilitate the removal of trade barriers and enhance bilateral trade.
The development marks a significant step towards achieving the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) and African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) goals of promoting intra-African trade.
Prof Murwira decried the fact that Africa remains the least integrated continent in terms of trade, with only 16–17 percent of total trade taking place between African countries, compared to over 70 percent in Europe.
“As we continue to strengthen this partnership, it is imperative that our cooperation translates into tangible benefits for the people of Zimbabwe and Zambia and for that to happen, tariffs, non-tariff and tariff barriers must fall to zero.
“Zambia and Zimbabwe are already excellent politically, and we are moving to the stage of economic integration and this has to start with the fall of tariff and non-tariff barriers,” said Minister Murwira.
He also noted that this momentum signals a concerted effort to translate vision into tangible outcomes for economic growth and development, amid clear political commitment to turn these initiatives into reality.
“There is political will to make these things happen. President ED Mnangagwa instructed his ministers of Energy, Finance, and Transport to do exactly that in the previous meeting, we agreed that we are going to remove tariffs and non-tariff barriers.”
Minister Murwira said cooperation between the two governments was imperative as they moved to translate into tangible benefits for the people of Zimbabwe and Zambia.
Zambia’s Minister of Commerce, Trade, and Industry Mr Chipoka Mulenga, echoed the same sentiments, affirming that the two nations have the political will to execute the reforms and that key decisions will be announced following the Heads of State meeting today.
“Tariffs and non-tariffs have just been a process that has been put on by bureaucrats to stop trade between each other. Let us look at the people who invented tariffs in Europe and everywhere else, they do not even have tariffs among themselves. But now we Africans always fight each other, resent each other, and we resent each other’s products to embrace that which is coming from the same people who are doing business with each other.
“It is a shame to see that Europe is trading with each other; what the African Union or AfCFTA is trying to come up with is an admiration or an adoption of what the EU is doing,” said Minister Mulenga. Beyond trade, the ministers also discussed the need to strengthen the two countries’ long-standing energy cooperation to address growing electricity demand and improve energy security for both nations.
They highlighted the need for the two countries to expand and modernise their shared energy infrastructure, particularly the Kariba hydroelectric facility, which they jointly own and operate.
“We will be working together in the energy area, Zimbabwe and Zambia are the first to jointly operate and own the Kariba for energy.
“Zambia’s energy sector was designed for a few million people, maybe 10 million, 7 million in Zimbabwe, 3 million in Zambia, but now we have 38 million people,” said Minister Mulenga.
Minister Murwira added that the growing population and industrial demand had placed pressure on existing power generation capacity, calling for urgent diversification of energy sources and increased investment in generation and transmission infrastructure.
“It means our energy sources and diversification have to happen and have to happen now. We have to harness our complementarities to make sure that we drive a good quality of life for our people,” said Minister Murwira.
The increased drive for cooperation is expected to focus on energy diversification, including hydro, solar, and thermal projects, as well as cross-border power trade and grid interconnectivity.
Kariba South and Kariba North power stations, with a combined installed capacity of about 2 500 megawatts, remain a vital energy source for the two countries.
However, recurrent droughts and falling water levels have limited output in recent years, highlighting the need for alternative power sources and better management of shared resources.
A joint energy development framework could attract foreign investment and support regional goals under the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) and the African Union’s Agenda 2063, which advocate for integrated, sustainable energy solutions across the continent.
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