By CHATULA KANGALI
GOVERNMENT is considering engaging the Japanese Government for the modernisation and development of border posts in the country.
Commerce Trade and Industry Minister Margaret Mwanakatwe said the development of border posts would enhance regional trade with Malawi, Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Ms Mwanakatwe said there was need for infrastructure development in most border posts to ensure that regional trade is achieved.
The Minister last week attended the Tokyo International Conference for African Development (TICAD) in Maputo, Mozambique where the  ministerial conference focused on the development of priority sectors such as the private sector, Infrastructure, sanitation and social security.
Ms Mwanakatwe said the priority boarder posts to be developed were Kasumbalesa on the Copperbelt, Kipushi in North-Western Province and Muchinji in Eastern Province.

MWANAKATWE

“The TICAD  ministerial conference focused on infrastructure development, it is important to have a  corridor to do regional trade but we need to develop the infrastructure. As Government, we want Japan to  help with the infrastructure development at the boarder posts,” she said.
Ms Mwanakatwe said a trade agreement was recently signed with the Governments of the DRC and Malawi to operationalise one stop border posts at Kasumbalesa and Muchinji respectively.
She said the Nakonde border post was ready and would in the next three weeks be commissioned.
Chirundu and the Livinsgtone border posts were already developed.