Our Reporter.

The African Union (AU) has signed a partnership with TradeMark Africa (TMA) aimed at boosting intra-African trade and fast-tracking the realization of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) ) in selected Southern and Eastern Africa countries – Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Ethiopia, DRC, Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique .

The agreement was signed in Addis Ababa this week by Amb. Albert Muchanga – the AU Commissioner for Trade and Industry, Amb. Erastus Mwencha – the TradeMark EA Board Chair and Frank Matsaert – the TradeMark EA CEO.

Speaking at the signing, Amb. Albert Muchanga – the AU Commissioner for Trade and Industry noted that the ‘AU is indeed excited to work with TMA; renowned organisation that has implemented successful trade facilitation programmes in East Africa.’

Amb. Albert Muchanga said; “We want to complement our efforts in implementing the ambitious boosting intra African trade programme, leverage TMAs experience and ensure similar trade facilitation initiatives are implemented to boost trade and prosperity for the people in this region.”

On behalf of TradeMark Africa, board Chair, Amb. Erastus Mwencha said, “This partnership with the African Union is an important milestone and embodies our vision for a prosperous Eastern Africa. TMA can help fast-track implementation of the AfCFTA by supporting the African Union (AU) programme for Boosting Intra-African Trade (BIAT).”

“By implementing quick win measures to ‘thin’ borders and reduce the cost and time to trade along key corridors, TMA will help keep momentum going for this ambitious initiative to be realised, while countries are involved in the longer-term exercise of negotiating trade and tariff regimes,” he concluded.

TMA’s operations across eight countries, working with government, private sector and civil society to address high trade costs in Eastern Africa and support export growth, is well-positioned to support the African Union on its vision for an Integrated, Prosperous and Peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena.

This partnership prioritizes areas of common interest to both organisations including but not limited to the following.

1. Collaborate on the development of an Action Plan for the implementation of the Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) for selected countries in Southern and Eastern Africa.
2. Complement each other’s efforts in supporting the implementation of the Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), specifically the Boosting Intra-Africa Trade (BIAT) initiative which focuses on seven clusters – trade policy, trade facilitation, productive capacity, trade related infrastructure, trade finance, trade information, and factor market integration as drivers for expanding intra-African Trade and agree a work plan for the implementation.
3. Encourage in a joint manner the inclusion of the voice of the Private Sector in the negotiations and the implementation of the AfCFTA.
4. Increasing export growth and diversification.
5. Develop and monitor of trade/transport corridors to improve the flow of goods, services, people and information between countries and regions, including One Stop Border Posts (OSBPs).
6. Collaboration in areas of transport infrastructure and operations, trade facilitation, trade logistics, ICT for trade, integration of regional trade networks and support to regional value chains of goods and services.
7. Collaborate on investments and industrial development.

Source: HiPipo

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of TradeMark Africa.