At a recent workshop, various stakeholders were introduced to the OSBP Source Book; a practical tool designed to provide reliable information for preparing regulation and operational guidelines for OSBPs. It reviews implementation and operation of OSBPs in Africa up to early 2011 and applies some of the latest thinking about border management to OSBP operations.
EAC views OSBP as key to giving meaning to integration by, among others, streamlining border operations with the expected benefit of significantly increasing efficiency levels.
Under the OSBP concept all traffic will stop once in each direction of travel, border control laws of one country will fully apply in a "common control zone" between two states, exit and entry procedures will be undertaken in the country of entry from a single location, and border control officers from the two states managing the OSBP will be empowered to conduct joint inspection, among others.
Combining two stops into one and consolidating functions for example those of the various State agencies on either border is expected to reduce travel times for passengers and freight vehicles, thereby facilitating not only freedom of movement for persons and goods as enshrined in the EAC Treaty and its attendant protocols but in the case of the latter, potentially reducing costs as shippers will pay less to transport goods when the clearing systems are made more efficient. The Source Book outlines potential benefits to be obtained from an OSBP, discussions on good practice, capacity needs, technological improvements and legal requirements that ought to be considered.
Presently, Chirundu One Stop Border Post on the Zimbabwe-Zambia is Sub-Saharan Africa's only fully operational OSBP, but the EAC has plans to introduce OSBPs at border crossing points its Partner States share with each other.
An EAC OSBP Bill to provide a regional legal framework has also been prepared.
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