THE Forbes Border Post near Mutare will in the next few years surpass the Beitbridge Border Post in the handling of commercial traffic because of its closeness to the sea from Harare, a top government official has said.
Addressing a media workshop in Masvingo early Monday, Customs and Excise commissioner Batsirai Chadzingwa revealed that the Forbes Border Post currently handles around 1 000 trucks daily almost equal to what Beitbridge does.
"Beira is going to be a port of choice to traders because of its distance from Harare and its capacity to quickly bounce back from natural disasters. After the Tsunami, it was operational just after a week which is the confidence business wants," said Chadzingwa.
"We have been able to smoothly reorganise the movement of those volumes that were cause for concern in Mutare by our reaction to media reports. We believe the media plays an important tax collection role by highlighting issues that need our attention," he said.
Chadzingwa said this as he officially opened a three-day media workshop in Masvingo.
About 30 journalists from Masvingo, Beitbridge, Chiredzi and Zvishavane are participating in the workshop facilitated by the United Nations Development Programme.
