The national Minister of Public Works Mr Geoff Doidge, MP, today Friday 10 July 2009 meets with counterpart Mr Felício Zacarias, to discuss the current status of the planned construction of the One-Stop Border Post (OSBP) on the South Africa-Mozambique border in Mpumalanga province.
The meeting was part of a bi-national working group tasked with the planning and delivery of the infrastructure of the OSBP at the Lebombo-Ressano Garcia border post, following the signing of a bilateral agreement on a combined boarder control between the two countries in September 2007.
The agreement set out the broad principles of the OSBP, as well as guiding the implementation and operations of the facilities. The accord would be complemented by a series of annexes that will define the key operational modalities of the OSBP.
According to Minister Doidge, the meeting with the Mozambican delegation was aimed at discussing the current status of the project as well as ensuring that all processes are in place for targets to be set for construction.
“Following our meeting with the Mozambican Minister and officials, we can confidently say that a new pedestrian passport processing building will be operational in time for the December holiday rush.”
The OSBP is planned to incorporate all the modern approaches to the operation of such facilities, and in many areas will introduce innovative solutions to expedite traffic.
Minister Doidge also commended the fact that both ministers were able to meet and inspect the border on both sides to have a personal understanding of how far the project is and which steps are going to be taken in moving forward.
“The co-location of all the border agencies, in one country, or even the two adjacent countries, can significantly improve efficiency of facilitating the legal movement of people and goods across the two countries.”
A decision was taken at the meeting that officials from both countries would work towards making a final presentation to both ministers on the construction of the final phases of the project.
Issued by: Department of Public Works
10 July 2009
Source: Department of Public Works (http://www.publicworks.gov.za/)
