According to the president of the National Land Transport Agency, Énio Costa, cited by Radio Nacional de Angola (RNA), the issuance of a cross-border road transport license and the harmonization of fees between the two countries are among the short-term measures to overcome the difficulties faced by truck drivers on the Luanda-Luvo-Noqui logistics corridor, to Cabinda, passing through DRCongo.
Angolan road transporters of goods operating in this logistics corridor announced an indefinite strike, starting last Saturday, in protest against the high customs fees charged by DRCongo.
According to the Association of Road Freight Transporters of Angola (ATROMA), the strike is taking place at the Nkoko customs containment post, commune of Luvo, municipality of Mbanza Congo, province of Zaire, on the border with DRCongo.
At the end of a meeting with the provincial government of Zaire and the truckers' association, Énio Costa said that the objective is to harmonize all cross-border road transport fees and that these fees are reciprocal, so that both countries benefit and facilitate activity of cross-border operators.
The agreement, he added, was signed about two weeks ago and the objective is for it to be gradually implemented over a period of two years.
The leader of ATROMA, António Gavião Neto, highlighted to RNA "that the matter is well underway", hoping that the reciprocity rules will be implemented "very soon".
Lusa tried to contact ATROMA to obtain more details about the strike, without success.
According to the association, in the recent past, more than 30 Angolan trucks with various products, including materials for the construction of the Cabinda Refinery, were detained in the neighboring country and were forced to pay 3000 dollars, compared to the 100 dollars that Congolese operators pay in Angola.
