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Experts deliberate on national implementation plans for CFTA agreement
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The national implementation strategies, according to the statement, are part of a wider project aimed at deepening Africa’s trade integration through effective implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) Agreement.
The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the African Trade Policy Centre (ATPC) are meeting today in Libreville, Gabon, to review the guidelines for preparing national implementation strategies for the African Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA or AfCFTA) Agreement, which has been signed by 49 African Union (AU) countries.
According to a statement released by ECA, the experts from the two institutions will produce guidelines to support 30 countries with the development of their national CFTA implementation strategies. 19 out of the 22 countries required for implementation of the CFTA have already ratified the agreement. The 19 countries are Kenya, Ghana, Rwanda, Niger, Chad, eSwatini, Guinea, Uganda, Cote d'Ivoire, South Africa, Sierra Leone, Mali, Senegal, Namibia, Congo Republic, Togo, Mauritania, Djibouti and Egypt.
The CFTA was first adopted on March 21, 2018 by 44 countries. Five more countries have signed the agreement, with the exception of Nigeria and five other African countries. The ECA estimates that the CFTA has the potential both to boost intra-African trade by 52.3 percent by eliminating import duties, and to double this trade if non-tariff barriers are also reduced.
The main objectives of the free trade area include creating a single continental market for goods and services, with free movement of business persons and investments. The CFTA is expected to pave a way for accelerating the establishment of the Customs Union.
The goal of the conference in Gabon is to review current production and trade within the countries, analyse constraints – including non-tariffs barriers and competitiveness issues faced by businesses, and possible solutions. The conference will also look at ways of prioritizing opportunities for value chain development, among other priorities.
The ATPC says a range of cross-cutting and very critical issues need to be integrated into the national implementation strategies, including gender mainstreaming, the environment, climate change, and new technologies. The Coordinator of the ATPC, David Luke, noted that “country strategies will not be developed from scratch. African countries have in place a number of well-grounded knowledge products and frameworks, national development plans, trade, industrialisation and export policies that will inform the AfCFTA strategies.”
The national implementation strategies, according to the statement, are part of a wider project aimed at deepening Africa’s trade integration through effective implementation of the AfCFTA. They will have regard for countries’ priority interests within the continental and global development agenda.
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