By ANDREW PHIRI? –

SOUTHERN African Development Community (SADC) member countries have been urged to allow Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to actively participate in the economic growth of their countries by having good road infrastructure.
The region has also been called upon to come up with uniform charges, regulations and language in the transport sector.
Livingstone Chamber of Commerce and Industry Miles Daka said the transport sector played a pivotal role in the region’s economic development, hence the need to have uniform laws and language for transporters in the SADC region.
‘‘We need policy adjustments in the region especially in the transport sector that can allow SMEs to participate in the growth of our economies.
The variation in boarder charges at different entry points is also one of the bigger challenges that transporters face,’’ Mr Daka said.
Mr Daka said the variations in transport charges among SADC member States was one of the major challenges that transporters faced when ferrying goods in the region.
Speaking in Livingstone on Monday when the LCCT hosted their Namibian counterparts, Mr Daka said there was also need to have policy adjustments in Zambia and other member States in the region.
‘‘The transport sector plays a critical role in the economic growth of any country, this sector needs growing by all member States,’’ he said.
Recently, several truck drivers who were carrying copper from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) en-route to South Africa complained of higher border charges on the Zimbabwe route after Botswana authorities could not allow them entry to that country.
Cedric Limbo, a transport official from the Namibia Ministry of Works and Transport, said there was need to maintain roads and rail net works in the SADC region that were neglected.
Mr Limbo said countries in the region needed to invest in road, rail and airport infrastructure in order to boost trade in the region.?He said the current airport infrastructure in most of the SADC member countries, was not sufficient to support aviation expansion as well.
‘‘What needs to be done in the region is to invest in infrastructure and ensure that there is expansion in the transport sector through the maintenance of our roads, rail networks, airports and ports and also ensure that they are up to international standards,” Mr Limbo said.
Mr Limbo said most of the challenges faced in the transport sector in the region needed to be addressed by both governments and the private sector.
“All the challenges highlighted need attention from our governments and the private sector if the transport sector is to positively contribute to the economic growth in the region. This will be a great benefit for the region as well,” Mr Limbo said.