Increased intra-African trade is an effective option to pave the way for post-Covid-19 economic recovery and food security. The COVID-19 epidemic threw Africa’s growth trajectory off course. African nations have attempted to unilaterally liberalize trade and participate in free trade and regional integration agreements. Nations launched the AfCFTA as one of the actions made to support more extensive intra-African trade. The sweeping effects of Covid-19  The health and economic implications of the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically raised the number of individuals living in severe poverty in Africa. In 2010, Africa’s extreme poverty threshold was 40.2 per cent, with a poverty level of US$1.90 daily in purchasing power parity, and it had dropped to 34.1 per cent by 2019. Nonetheless, this percentage drop in poverty incidence was insufficient to lower the overall number of poor individuals. Given the growth in population size, the number of individuals living in severe poverty in Africa grew from 408 million to 442 million between 2010 and 2019. The economic and health implications of the COVID-19 pandemic forced 27 million more people into extreme poverty in Africa in 2020 compared to 2019 and almost 51 million compared to the pre-COVID-19 period. The COVID-19 epidemic threw Africa’s growth trajectory off course. The epidemic had a significant socioeconomic toll, threatening the existence of half of the continent’s micro, small, and medium-sized companies (MSMEs). Four out of every five African enterprises saw a significant drop in revenue. As African nations relaunched their economies and phased away COVID-19 limitations, the repercussions of the Ukraine crisis...

The government is determined to address the high cost of doing business in the country as a measure to spur regional trade. East African Community Principal Secretary Kevit Desai says the move is intended to make the country more attractive and competitive for local and international investors. He said there is need to reduce the cost of doing business in the country to facilitate local and foreign investments. The PS says Kenya being the hub for regional and international trade is pushing to tackle barriers to trade by streamlining its import and export processes through implementation of reforms geared to addressing the high trade costs besides cumbersome and time-consuming border procedures. Dr Desai says the government is alive to the pain and hurdles facing the business community and added his ministry was out to engage stakeholders and address the bottlenecks. He said these hindrances include the existence of a multiplicity of licenses, bureaucracy, cost and time consuming red tape in processing of business licensing applications, permits and other authorizations. The PS said existing licensing system bottlenecks affect the business environment and increase cost of doing business in the country. “There is a need for public officers to act with a sense of urgency in the provision of services to Kenyans and inspire confidence in investors,” he said. Dr Desai was speaking in Kwale County where he held talks with members of the private sector and local officials of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI). As the cost...

In pursuit of accelerating large-scale trade and business development, a number of African countries have been chosen to begin exchanging goods and services under the the the new African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The continental free trade is planned to operate within the framework of the African Union Agenda 2063. The AfCFTA makes trade between African countries easier by providing new export opportunities for African countries’ products and services to trade with each other without tariffs or other hindrances, and thus driving an improved access to the biggest market space and ultimately lead to sustainable economic growth. Now the continental trading is about to operate as a platform for creating and strengthening ties between business communities, it highlights the readiness of the business environment and its priority potential development for the Africa. Under the agreement with partners and shareholders, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has chosen about eight African countries including Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Rwanda, Tanzania and Tunisia that will soon start trading. The move is part of efforts to diversify and increase export among African countries through Export Trading Companies (ETCs) while achieving the continent’s industrialization drive and make it economically self-reliant. Herbert Krapa, Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry (MoTI), said at a seminar to sensitize African countries on the role of ETCs in easing intra-African trade under the AfCFTA in Accra, Ghana, that the Secretariat had launched the AfCFTA Initiative on Guided Trade to translate all the progress on paper into action...

The East African Business Council, COMESA and SADC Business Council have officially launched and formed the African Tripartite Business Council to spearhead the inclusion of private sector policy proposals into the negotiations of African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement and the African Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA). This is one of the resolutions from the Consultative Meeting of Regional Business Councils on the Implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement organized by the East African Business Council (EABC) with support from TradeMark Africa (TMA). “The African Tripartite Business Council will put forward joint private sector policy positions to the AfCFTA Secretariat in Ghana and Tripartite Ministerial Council Meetings in order to accelerate the implementation of the Agreements,” said, Mr. John Bosco Kalisa, EABC CEO. Mr. Kalisa called upon the Member States from COMESA, the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) to ratify the Tripartite Free Trade Area to achieve the threshold of 14 ratifications required to enable the Agreement to enter into force. Mr. Dickson Poloji, CEO of COMESA Business Council said, “It is important for the private sector to be knowledgeable of the trade instruments of Rules of Origin, Standards and Dispute Settlement Mechanism under the AfCFTA” He elaborated that the implementation committees of the AfCFTA should be co-chaired by the private sector. On his part, Mr Peter Varndell-CEO, SADC Business Council said “The African Tripartite Business Council will improve coordination and development of positions on AfTCFA policy formulation and...

THE government has crowned the key driver of the multi-million-dollar horticulture industry, Tanzania Horticultural Association (TAHA), with the highest prize in agriculture in 2022 for its exemplary work on the sector. “TAHA has been awarded as the national winner on the NGOs category in the Nane-Nane agricultural show competition after outshining other private players in agriculture sector,” reads the certificate of achievement issued by the government. Training on good agricultural practices, horticulture farming inspiration for youth and women, cutting-edge and climate-smart agricultural technologies demo, access to market opportunity and education on dietary are the factors behind the TAHA’s victory at the just ended National Nane-Nane Agriculture exhibitions at John Mwakangale grounds in Mbeya. Official data shows that TAHA had trained nearly 7,000 farmers and non-farmers, all targeting horticulture farming, on good agricultural practices during the 88 agricultural fair alone. It is understood; TAHA participated in 88 agricultural exhibitions in Arusha, Mbeya, Mwanza, Morogoro, and Unguja in Zanzibar. “Our climate resilient agriculture approach to help farmers mitigate risks of climate change, reduce the cost of cultivation, increase productivity and enhance their adaptive capacities are the secret behind our success” said TAHA CEO, Ms Jacqueline Mkindi shortly after being declared winner before President Samia Suluhu Hassan who graced the climax of the Nane-Nane fairs. Ms Mkindi explained that TAHA enhances farm productivity and profitability; makes farming practices climate resilient and nature friendly; and works with the government, development partners to link horticulture communities with reliable markets. “We wouldn't scoop this prestigious award...

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat has launched an online hub to ease trade on the African continent The AfCFTA Hub is a focal point for national governments, intergovernmental, private, and public organisations It links the parties together to make way for SMEs and startups to drive the success of the African Continental Free Trade Area The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat has launched an online hub to ease trade on the African continent. The AfCFTA Hub is a focal point for national governments, and intergovernmental, private, and public organisations. It links the parties together to make way for SMEs and startups to drive the success of the African Continental Free Trade Area. The online hub is designed to grow into a single, trusted directory of the services needed to navigate the AfCFTA for small players, thereby making the AfCFTA the most inclusive Free Trade Area in the world. The AfCFTA Hub also powers the “AfCFTA Number”, trusted identity and social score for all SMEs, startups and other AfCFTA players. “It is important to ensure the centrality of SMEs, startups and female entrepreneurs as we strive to build the world’s most inclusive, most innovative and most integrated Single Market,” said Wamkele Mene, Secretary General AfCFTA. Kenya is one of the seven countries that have been selected to start trading under the AfCFTA framework in a pilot phase to test the environmental, legal and trade policy basis for intra-African trade. The AfCFTA Hub platform and ongoing engagements...

The Government of Malawi through the Ministry of Trade and Industry held a sensitization workshop at the Mchinji-Mwami One Stop Border Post (OSBP) aimed at creating awareness about the new One Stop Border Post (OSBP) to the community and economic operators in the district and beyond. Supported by TradeMark Africa through funding from the United Kingdom’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, the workshop was led by the Secretary for Trade and Industry, Christina Zakeyo, senior officials from the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MoTI) and the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA). Participants, including border officials, District Council members, religious leaders, village elders and various border community members were sensitized on how an OSBP operates, its efficiencies and expectations on cooperation. Speaking at the workshop, the Director of Trade at the Ministry for Trade and Industry, Charity Musonzo said: “This OSBP will significantly change the way of doing business at the border by improving cross-border trade; free movement of people and enhancing trade facilitation in general, thereby further accelerating Malawi’s trade integration of the regional and world markets. ” Under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), we are exposed to a market of over 1.2 billion people and a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of more than US$2.5 trillion across Africa. This OSBP therefore becomes a strategic tool for leveraging our own and our neighbours’ respective trade potential.” Zakeyo also enumerated the benefits that the users and the local community would derive from using the OSBP. ”With the new infrastructure present...

While the Federal Government of Nigeria has for years been nursing the idea of introducing the electronic single window platform for cargo clearing at the ports, shippers in East African countries and Singapore are reaping the benefits of such a facility. The single window is a facility that allows parties involved in trade and transport to lodge information and documents with a single entry point to fulfill all import, export, and transit-related regulatory requirements. Read original article

The Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) has said the One Stop Border Post (OSBP) constructed in Mchinji at the Malawi—Zambia border will improve revenue generation as it will enhance formal cross border trade. MRA Head of Corporate Affairs Steven Kapoloma said this during a sensitisation workshop at the Mchinji— Mwami OSBP aimed at creating awareness to the community and users. Kapoloma said the one stop boarder post is encouraging formal trade as it will increase revenue for the government and consequently development in the border community and the country at large. “We are committed to working with individuals that use this OSBP to ensure their products are well classified so that they have a smooth transition as they use this border and transport their valued products across the Nacala corridor and beyond,” he said. The Mchinji—Mwami OSBP is an inter -governmental project implemented by partners from the integrated border management, including the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA), Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) and other Zambia and Malawi border control agencies. An OSBP uses harmonised legal and institutional framework, facilities, and associated coordinated procedures and processes that enable goods, people, and vehicles crossing a border, to stop only once in the country of entry. The traders undergo necessary regulatory controls in line with applicable regional and national laws to the adjoining state. Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Trade and Industry Chritina Zakeyo expressed similar sentiments to Kapoloma saying the border will change the way business is done at the border. “With the new...

Government of Malawi, through the Ministry of Trade and Industry, has embarked on creating awareness to the community around Mchinji-Mwami border on how they can utilize the One Stop Border Post (OSBP) for enhanced efficiency and effectiveness in border clearance processes. Speaking on Friday during a sensitization meeting with the community and other players on how it will operate and the benefits, Principal Secretary (PS) for Trade and Industry, Christina Zakeyo, said the facility has come with lots of benefits to the people surrounding it. “This will consequently reduce the time spent at the border and trade turnover will increase significantly,” Zakeyo said. On his part, Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) Head of Corporate Affairs, Steve Kapoloma, noted the impact on revenues that will be created by traders using the border post. “Through this sensitization, we are encouraging formal trade because this will increase the revenue for the government and consequently development in the border community and beyond,” he said. Kapoloma added, “As MRA we are committed to working with individuals that use this OSBP to ensure their products are well classified so that they have a smooth transition as they use this border and transport their valued products across the NACALA corridor and beyond.” Trade Mark East Africa (TMA) Economic and Trade Advisor, Victor Mponda-Banda, said the Mchinji OSBP is an important milestone for Malawi in cementing its position as a key player in trade in the Southern African region. It sets a positive precedent for other similar projects in...