Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, with reference to her Department's commitment to support a reduction in the average time taken for goods to cross international borders in the locations in which the Africa Free Trade Initiative operates, what assessment she has made of her Department's performance in meeting that commitment; and what change there has been in that average time since the commencement of her Department's involvement.

The department has met this commitment to support a reduction in the average time taken for goods to cross international borders. For example, by mid-2013 delays at one border crossing between Zambia and Zimbabwe had been reduced by over two thirds from the baseline. This is part of DFID’s approach to ending aid dependency through growth and jobs.