Southern Region Chairperson for Cross Border Association of Malawi (CBTAM), Olas Sanga, told Zodiak on Tuesday that officials from Mozambique demand a lot of money from them when passing through their country to Zimbabwe and South Africa.

He said they are sometimes forced to pay the officials some money for them to find their way through.

“Officials in Mozambique demand unnecessary money from Malawians when they are passing through even if a Malawian has all the documentation,” complained Sanga.

Ministry of Trade Spokesperson, Mayeso Msokera, says cross border business operators need to formally inform government on challenges they are experiencing so as to have quick discussions with their counterparts.

“Apart from that, SADC, COMESA and others introduced an online platform which they can also use to report any challenges,” said Msokera.

Meanwhile, National Initiative for Civic Education (NICE) Trust is sensitizing cross border traders to understand the SADC Trade Protocol.

NICE Coordinator for Blantyre, Joseph Chamambala, says the SADC Trade protocol is vital as it was designed to reduce trade restrictions and accelerate economic growth in the region.