Zambia Partners with UNCTAD and TradeMark Africa to Modernize Customs System and Cut Border Clearance Times
Zambia has taken a major step toward improving cross-border trade efficiency after signing an agreement to upgrade its national customs management system.
The initiative will modernize the Zambia Revenue Authority’s (ZRA) operations through the stabilization and enhancement of the ASYCUDAWorld platform, aiming to reduce cargo clearance times, strengthen revenue collection, and lower administrative costs for traders.
The agreement was signed by the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and TradeMark Africa (TMA).
18-Month Modernization Initiative
The 18-month project is funded by the UK Government through TMA and implemented by UNCTAD. It focuses on stabilizing and optimizing the ASYCUDAWorld system to improve system performance, reliability, and integration across agencies involved in trade and border management.
At the signing ceremony, Secretary to the Cabinet Patrick Kangwa emphasized that Zambia expects stronger economic growth driven by reforms to improve the business climate, promote trade, and support entrepreneurship.
He noted that with continued economic diversification efforts, growth could exceed 6% annually by 2026.
“With the anticipated increase in economic activity and trade volumes, the importance of an efficient customs management system like ASYCUDA cannot be overstated,” Kangwa said, underscoring the system’s role in facilitating seamless trade flows.
Addressing System Complexity and Delays
ZRA Commissioner General Dingani Banda highlighted that ASYCUDAWorld has become deeply integrated with both internal and external systems, resulting in greater automation across customs and tax administration. However, expanded integrations have also increased operational complexity.
Rising declaration volumes, growing data requirements, and multi agency coordination challenges have contributed to system bottlenecks. These delays often result in higher storage costs and uncertainty for traders, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises.
“The ASYCUDAWorld stabilization project will restore system stability, enhance processing accuracy, strengthen integrations, and improve overall performance to support efficient customs operations and timely revenue accounting,” Banda stated.
UNCTAD Technical Support
UNCTAD’s Regional Coordinator for Eastern and Southern Africa, Khauhelo Mawana, confirmed that technical support is already underway.
A UNCTAD specialist has been deployed to ZRA headquarters to identify system bottlenecks and recommend targeted improvements.
According to Mawana, the current challenges are manageable with the right technical interventions, and the proposed enhancements will enable faster cargo clearance and reduce congestion at key border posts.
Regional Trade Implications
TradeMark Africa’s Southern Africa Regional Director, Hope Situmbeko, emphasized Zambia’s strategic position as a regional trade and logistics hub. The country sits at the crossroads of major Southern African transport corridors, including:
The Lobito Corridor
The Dar es Salaam Corridor
The Beira Corridor
The North-South Corridor
She noted that improving customs efficiency will strengthen Zambia’s competitiveness and support regional integration under frameworks such as:
Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)
Southern African Development Community (SADC)
African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)
Situmbeko added that faster and more reliable border processes directly benefit traders including youth- and women-led businesses by reducing costs and uncertainty.
UK Government Support
Claire Allan, Head of the Economic Development and Growth team at the British High Commission in Zambia, stated that upgrading the ASYCUDA Single Window will improve coordination among border agencies, reduce clearance times, and enhance the reliability of trade processes.
The improved system is expected to increase trader compliance, strengthen revenue assurance, and enhance Zambia’s competitiveness within regional and continental markets.
The ASYCUDAWorld upgrade represents a critical reform in Zambia’s trade facilitation agenda. By improving system stability and efficiency, the government aims to reduce transaction costs, accelerate cargo movement, and create a more predictable trading environment key pillars for sustained economic growth and regional integration.
