LUSAKA, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Botswana have agreed to scrap mobile roaming charges as part of efforts to reduce the cost of conducting business in the region, a senior Zambian government official said Monday.
"Mobile users in Zambia will no longer incur extra charges on calls whenever they cross borders in a few neighboring countries. Besides looking forward to having non-stop border posts, our people will cut on trade barriers through scrapping roaming charges, making us among the very first to take this progressive route," Minister of Technology and Science Felix Mutati said in a statement.
The agreement, he said, will become effective in August as part of efforts by the four countries to create one network area.
According to him, travelers from Zambia have been incurring high internet and mobile roaming tariffs which will now be addressed through the decision. He said the initiative is also part of efforts for turning Africa into a single digital market. ■