Govt. calls for speedy African trade integration

The government is pushing for the accelerated implementation of the Tripartite Free Trade Area.

The free trade area is expected to bring together economies from South, West and East Africa in an effort of bridging intra Africa trade.

Speaking in Algeria during the first ever African Investment and Business Forum, Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Amb Amina Mohamed said African countries need to work towards adopting borderless continent to allow for increased movement of goods.

Intra African trade currently stands at 10 percent compared with trade with North America and Europe which accounts for 40 percent and 63 percent respectively.

“We must deepen our own integration and not clink to sovereignty for sovereignty sake to close our borders,” Amb. Mohamed told the Algiers gathering.

the East African Community (EAC), Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and Southern Africa Development Cooperation (SADC) have mulled plans to integrate, bringing together 26 countries with a combined GDP of $624 billion.

The foreign affairs CS said the continent had enough potential to grow by trading amongst African countries that would also boost the continents bargaining power on the international stage.

“To move forward, we need to make sacrifices. We have put in place cross border initiatives to ensure that formal and informal trade is fully facilitated and registered,” she said.

The forum brought together government officials from across the continent with plans to successfully implement the African blueprint, Agenda 2063.