Thursday, March 28, 2024

Guy Scott takes a swipe at South Africa on non-tariff barriers and Yellow Fever

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Vice President Dr Guy Scott
Dr Guy Scott

ACTING President Guy Scott has challenged the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) to address non-tariff barriers in the spirit of regional integration.

Dr Scott said countries like Zambia were faced with tremendous difficulties in exporting and importing their products as a result of non-trade barriers.

“I have received complaints from the industry all the time on the non-trade barriers that they can’t move their products because of sanitary requirements that someone has brought in,” Dr Scott said.

He was speaking during the 33rd meeting of the Council of Ministers in Lusaka yesterday.

Dr Scott said it was disappointing to note that some countries had continued to request for the certification of yellow fever despite the low prevalence levels of the disease in the country.

“The tourism industry, for example, is made to suffer because of insistence from one of our neighbours to produce the certification despite the low levels of yellow fever prevalence in Zambia,” he said.

Dr Scott said he was concerned with the non-tariff barriers in the agriculture sector, citing sanitary measures imposed by countries such as South Africa.

“We have non-tariff barriers in the agriculture sector and we produce one of the cleanest and purest honey in the world but we can’t export to South Africa, for example, due to sanitary measures,” Dr Scott said.

The meeting was being held under the theme ‘Consolidating intra-COMESA trade through micro, small and medium enterprises development’.

49 COMMENTS

  1. Discuss these issues behind the scenes with the countries involved before broadcasting them to everyone. It is known as diplomacy.

    • Its a good question but the PF govt must remember that, other countries have their own rules and regulations which they follow. Its not like Zambia where policy is changed by individuals by merely declaring without the approval of parliament and cabinet.
      Yes, Zambia is facing difficulties as Dr Scott has acknowledged, however, its PF’s poor and pathetic leadership of which our foreign embassies are flooded with cadres.
      PF has no legitimate presidential candidate at the moment because the entire convention was fraud.
      It is no wonder foreign presidents never visited PF because the whole of Sata’s 3 years failed to hold a conference to the nation.
      41 days left till PF is democratically kicked off.

    • Now South Africa will endorse HH.
      Edgar Lungu has lost his popularity, because of what that Guy Scott is shouting…

    • Were you a delegate at the conference to decide the mode of communication? This what they were doing, discussing, and the media are reporting what was discussed. Why do you want to oppose anything? South African and Zimbabwe in the past have always had unfair trade advantage over Zambia because of questionable rules. Don’t be partisan in simple and straightforward issues

    • Ok @Engineer, if you really want to sleep with him you will be worried about the color of his ‘bamba’. That said, there is NO diplomacy necessary in discussing matters such as the Yellow Fever requirement as it is a HUGE barrier if you are caught unawares while doing business. Matter of fact, thus far there has not been very rigorous enforcement to the South Africans’ credit since representation started, but we do need to make this known LOUDLY so that it is clear. Is this why Afrikans generally fail to make their point made because of confusing the claims to rights with diplomacy? I understand there is also a phrase called “ukufwila mukati”… that is NOT diplomacy. That is timidity of the worst order.

    • I’m with Guy Scott on the yellow Fever issue.I’m suprised people are attacking him when we are all subjected to yellow fever vaccines when visiting south africa. You may not like Guy Scott but if he says something that makes sense applaud him and stop defending South Africa.Zambians are so amusing!!

    • @Misango Yaba Chaimani. ULICIPUBA SANA. What diplomacy? These are common market agreements or arrangements which must be discussed openly. If you don’t like what Scott said because he is white and you are racist, just don’t comment on it. What Scott said is absolutely right. South Africa has been refusing to buy grapes from Zambia while Europe does and yet the agreement is that SA must. If Zambia stops buying products from SA they will quickly complain. Africa will remain a BIG beggar if countries can’t encourage trans trade amongst them. Africa must encourage retention of wealth within Africa in order for us to become powerful and therefore respected without whic we will still remain door mats to the whole world. Go Guy Scott, go. Tell them, sir.

  2. South african products have to satisfy the regulations of the South african Bureau of Standards(S.A.B.S) while Zambia has continously ignored the Zambia Bureau of Standards(Z.B.S).I dont think Scott even knows what goes on at Z.B.S.The buck starts at Z.B.S.We clearly need to equate Z.B.S to S.A.B.S and then make companies to comply and then we can compete and penentrate these so called difficult markets.We cant export sub-standard products and expect easy entry into their well regulated markets.Can PF correct this now?I doubt that,since no govt since 1991 has seen the importance of an up and running Z.B.S.For that i will go for change and vote HH.Hopefully he can see the need for an effective Z.B.S.GOD BLESS ZAMBIA.

    • CAF-U: This is why i am one of the most worried Zambian in terms of media comments. You are commenting on RSA standards not knowing that the names of changed from SABS to SANS (South African National Standards). IN turn you might also not know that what you are saying is already changed in RSA. Please get the truth before you right as you will be misleading people

    • CAF-U is correct! South African National Standards (SANS) are still published by the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS), whose counterpart is the Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS).

    • Yip @Mwanwakwitu. I feel you too on that one. This idea of promising people huts and illegal settlements ain’t what a prez should be looking at.

    • Guy Scott is the future; black people cannot run a country; give us your companies; we shall hire u; pay u peanuts and make a killing of a profit when exporting minerals

  3. With the very low standards of sanitation in Zambia,dirty homesteads,no enforcement of public health & filthy mkts, i’m not surprised what is “standard procedure” in other nations is seen as non tarrif barrier in Zed.

    Question is why do Zambians always wrongly yearn for the path of least resistance?

    • hahaha! @Enka – exactly my question, too. I suppose it is a subconscious decision to make the best of the short life expectancy??

  4. Guy Scott’s major project is to tear up the peace that Zambians have enjoyed among themselves and the cordial relations this country has cultivated with our neighbouring countries inciuding South Africa.

    Guy Scott and Mmembe have planned their dirty game by

    (a) destroying the rulling PF Party through recruitment of weaklings like Sampa, Kaseba, a Mrs. Atanga, Munkombwe etc.

    (b) By inciting Farmers to arise against Lungu through a scheme to tell people that money is now available to pay Farmers – a set up for people rise against the Lungu Govt

    (c) Guy Scott is now fermenting international crises with South Africa to make life difficult for Zambians who travel to that country. Yet we have a Foreign Ministry stocked with diplomats to handle international issues behind scenes.

    • Very well said but its a pity that most Zambians don’t see through Guy Scott. They can’t just see that he doesn’t mean good for them. He’s like a hungry lion lying in wait for its prey. since his cartel is failing, for him its like “katufilile munsenga” and if people are not careful he’ll draw this peaceful country into war!!!!!

  5. Scott was right to raise the issues he raised as it one of the objectives of regional integration and bodies such as COMESA to remove unnecessary non-tariff barriers especially were they exist not to protect ‘sanitary conditions’ but to protect local business from external competition. The irony of of him having specifically singled out South Africa in this specific context is that South Africa is not even a member of COMESA. I really hope he is aware of this fact. If it was a SADC event he was addressing them maybe this would be ok.

    • Correct, my point exactly. This was a COMESA meeting and South Africa is not a member. Unless he was speaking with a forward look to the Tripartite where SPS, trade facilitation and other non-tariff barriers are still being negotiated.

  6. why south African does not come and go with yellow fever cards when they visit Zambia its unfair,Scot has done well to talk about it, we are tired and wasted a lot of money about it.

  7. I have chirped responses to a few blogs on the Yellow Fever, but to crown it all, I believe that the South Africans should be worried when they visit a Yellow Fever infested country. What bothers me is that Zambia doesn’t seem to have made effort to require the South Africans to then show Yellow Fever certificates to this effect. However, having said that, and seeing that we are actually a low prevalence (to zero) area, it would be folly to do that – what Scott has done by asking them to drop their requirement is just about the best direction to take. And that is a no-brainer that does not require behind the scenes or sideline meetings.

  8. Is South Africa a member of COMESA? If the meeting was called by COMESA then why are we discussing matters that concern non members?

    • He was making reference to what is happening in SADC (South Africa) at the moment. COMESA should not follow those same procedures as SA is doing

  9. You should also make it difficult for them to export to Zambia. You must strengthen your standards as well. Don’t just cry like babes, you are big enough to know what you can do.

    Peace and Prosperity to Mother Zambia.

  10. Very simple my Guy Scott. Address the issues of sanitary. As a matter of fact a lot has to be done especially with our smallholder farmers in embracing good food safety practices. Who would want to buy honey that is processed in a dish that is also used for bathing? who would want to buy vegies that are wrapped from the garden in a Chitenge material which also happens to be a bedsheet at night?

    Thanks for your efforts in trying to change Zambia but sorry its team HH this time. I withdraw my vote for PF when you increased the fuel price and devalued the Kwacha terribly. That’s how my business collapsed and recovering under your regime is almost impossible

  11. Only yesterday, I asked a South African travel agent friend why she should not visit Zambia to enjoy the hospitality there. She said her problem is she needs a yellow fiver card for Zambia but not for Zimbabwe or South Africa. Though Zambia and Zimbabwe are neighbours sharing the Zambezi and the Vic Falls, you need yellow fever card to enter the Zambian side and not the Zimbabwe which implies that there is yellow fever on the Zambian side not on the Zimbabwe side – very stupid! Scott, it’s good you’ve raised it with COMESA. It would be too complicated for so-called Zambian diplomats to understand let alone raise. They are just tribal Sata mispostings.

  12. Scott remains one of the only parts of PF that works… Others are skiving en masse. Keep working.

    Zambia behaves like a poor relation when it suits us. Raise standards, challenge unfair practices and remember ‘tenze bantu’ attitude means you keep forgetting who you now are. The rich relation who made some bad investments and lost his wealth (and mind) and needs to find himself again because he actually still has a lot going for himself but needs to stop the pity party…

  13. The Engineer (Australia now Germany), you are in Europe, you have shocked me, the Acting President was properly dressed. A blazer always goes with a blue shirt and grey trousers, a yellow neck-tie is accepted. You are in Europe we expect better than that, try to understand fashion.

  14. @ Permalink, I disagree with you. The yellow tie for that combination looks totally out of place. Maybe it’s because he was talking about honey. Lol!

  15. @ Mwansanga,”why south African does not come and go with yellow fever cards” is not SA problem, it is us who holds the key as who to allow in our country or not depending on the policies we have put in place through parliament. For example, it’s only in zambia where you can have foreigners especially Indians, withdraw any amount from the banks without any regulations. In SA you can only withdrw a particular amount per day where as in zambia you can withdraw 70,000 and more without a single obstacle. When Sata won, all indian queued in the banks and got all their money to keep at home in a day!

  16. Well done Guy! The role of a President is finally emerging. Not only is trade important as a meter of success for a country, but also a beacon which signals true independence of a nation.

    We will stand among as equals if we realise trade is what makes a country live up to its promises. It creates jobs, it grows the economy, it makes citizens wealthy. For once political opponents scale away from everyday politicking.

    This yellow fever is serious Kantemba which I have refused to pay.

  17. Scott is right .countries in Europian Union don’t ask for yellow fever certificate why should RSA insist on one. As for his dressing, don’t forget that he is not young anymore. As long as it is smart he does not care as it is with my father

  18. … so we know what the problem is — we simply need to up our game. We cannot impose our rules on another country. We need to move with the times.

    #OneZambia

  19. Zambia has always been a toy for other countries. The issue is that if you had professional staff with international exposure in the foreign missions, they would advise on how to effectively respond to particular trade related issues. They would for example tell you what bio-threats exist in each country and how Zambia can reiterate to counter such unfair practices. For years Zambia’s missions abroad are nothing but cadre centres draining the country’s resources.

  20. Scott’s dressing is ok only that perhaps he’s bambaless.His concern on S.Africa is however good.Sanitary issue is also not up to scratch in the ghettos of Khayelitsha nor Soweto to some extent but we accept their goods coz they are labelled S.A.Its up to us as a Nation to get WHO certification that we are Yellow Fever free otherwise let’s not put the blame on S.Africa..!

  21. Dr Scott Sir, at least you are saying low level prevalence. If you had said despite the zero yellow fever prevalence/occurrence, I would have agreed with you. Sir, with your PhD you should be aware of the fact that not all countries are run like your PF Govt, they have standards which they have set for themselves and their people. This PF mentality will soon destroy our country. The best you can do is to approach your counterparts and talk. I am sure you also aware that South Africa has reduced the visa period to about 10 days instead of the previous one month for Zambian vistors to South Africa?

  22. Why can’t this chi muzungu stop bothering our south african brothers and sisters. Go away you entitled nonsense. Continue with adherence to strict sanitary measures south africa. This chi muzungu has always and service cleaning for him so he does not understand the importance of hygiene and cleanliness. Dirty man wants infection and disease spreading to the whole of Africa. Please ignore this muzungu south africa he just wants to spread his evil and hatred.

  23. Why can’t this chi muzungu stop bothering our south african brothers and sisters. Go away you entitled nonsense. Continue with adherence to strict sanitary measures south africa. This chi muzungu has always had black servants cleaning for him so he does not understand the importance of hygiene and cleanliness. He was living like a pig in the UK because he did not have servants to clean for him.Dirty man wants infection and disease spreading to the whole of Africa. Please ignore this muzungu south africa he just wants to spread his evil and hatred.

  24. If Derek Zuma can’t help his black South Africans, I expect he has less concerns for Zambians.

    Anyway, what is the problem with just complying? When I was in Zambia, my family used to go to the Civic Centre and get our shots timely. What is the big issue here?

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