Countries taking part in the Southern Africa Trade and Connectivity Project (SATCP) visited the Mwami and Mchinji One Stop Border Post to explore ways to improve trade operations and share data more efficiently.
The project aims to enhance trade between Malawi, Zambia, and Mozambique by integrating their customs management systems. Malawi and Zambia have used the Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA) since 2022, while Mozambique operates on MCNET. Officials discussed how to connect these systems despite language differences to improve trade flow.
Joseph Khonje, Head of Modernization at the Malawi Revenue Authority, said linking the systems would benefit all three countries. “Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia are working to connect ASYCUDA and MCNET so we can access advanced data from the ports of Nacala, Beira, and Maputo. This will ease the movement of goods along the Nacala Corridor,” he said.
Mazuba Simalabbe, a manager with Zambia’s Business Systems Support – Customs, described the two-week workshop as insightful. “We want to establish interconnectivity with Mozambique as we have with Malawi. This visit has helped us understand areas for improvement, including physical inspections,” he said.
Osvaldo Correia, SATCP Coordinator for Mozambique Revenue Authority, said Mozambique’s participation would help boost trade and cooperation. “This is not our first visit, and we see that Mchinji and Mwami border posts continue to improve. Joining this effort will increase trade levels and strengthen regional ties,” he said.
