Malawi has ratified the Tripartite Free Trade Agreement, bringing the total number of state that have done so to 12. Now, only two are remaining to reach the requisite threshold of 14 to enable the agreement to enter into force. The ratification instrument, signed by Malawi Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon Nancy Tembo was delivered to the office of the Secretary General of COMESA, Chileshe Mpundu Kapwepwe. The Tripartite FTA is an inter-regional co-operation and integration arrangement amongst countries of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). To date, 22 Member States have signed the TFTA Agreement, and 12 have ratified it. These are Egypt, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Eswatini, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi. The Tripartite FTA was launched in June 2015 in Egypt to enhance integration among the Tripartite Member/Partner States for their mutual benefit and to pursue the development of common programmes which will enable all parties to utilise the available resources effectively. In addition, it is intended to harmonise trade and investment regimes and in particular to establish a Free Trade Area amongst COMESA, EAC and SADC; enhance inter-REC economic cooperation. It is also intended to harmonise infrastructure programmes focusing on developing joint inter-regional infrastructure, and co-operation on transport and communications and financing of regional infrastructure projects. The implementation of the TFTA will facilitate the movement of businesspersons in the Tripartite region and enable the development of joint programmes...

The IMF has identified South Sudan, Burundi, and the DRC as East African Community member states poised for significant economic growth in the 2024–2025 period. GDP growth in Burundi is projected to increase from 4.3 to 5.4 percent and in the DRC from 4.7 to 5.7%. Kenya leads regionally with a projected GDP of $104 billion, ranking 7th overall among the continent’s largest economies. The economic outlook for East African Community member states South Sudan, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is poised for significant economic growth in the 2024–2025 period. This prognosis by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) comes despite these nations grappling with conflicts, marking them as among the most fragile in the region. In its latest regional economic outlook report for Sub-Saharan Africa, the IMF forecasts a noteworthy 1.2 percent gross domestic product (GDP) growth for South Sudan, from 5.6 to 6.8 percent, despite ongoing economic disruptions and humanitarian support challenges caused by the neighboring conflict in Sudan. Similarly, GDP growth in Burundi is projected to increase from 4.3 to 5.4 percent and in the DRC from 4.7 to 5.7 percent. Surprisingly, these three conflict-affected countries are expected to outperform their peers, although the report does not delve into specific reasons for this optimistic outlook. Sub-Saharan Africa economic outlook On the other hand, four out of the remaining five EAC countries are forecast to experience growth rates below 1 percent, with Kenya and Rwanda having the lowest trajectory forecasts at 0.1 and 0.3 per cent, respectively....

What you need to know: The African Organisation for Standards says for the African Continental Free Trade Area dream to be realised, all countries must ensure that their standards are harmonised to reduce duplication The African Organisation for Standards has said all countries on the continent must harmonise their standards to effectively trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area. Speaking at the 38th International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) Committee for Conformity Assessment workshop organised by Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS), Dr Hermogene Nsengimana, the African Organisation for Standards secretary general, said if the African Continental Free Trade Area dream is to be achieved, all countries must ensure that their standards are harmonised to reduce duplication. “We should borrow a leaf from the East African Community where they started harmonising standards. We need to move together if we want to push intra-continental trade,” he said, noting there has been an attempt to harmonise agro-processing, pharmaceuticals, automotive and transport standards at the continental level. “We have over 1,800 standards. By June 200 would have been harmonised. This will reduce duplication and we are also trying to make standards simple for traders,” he said. Trade across Africa continues to be disrupted due to variances in product standards and country specifications. For instance, the South Sudan National Bureau of Standards last year seized several Ugandan trucks carrying cereals, flour, and wheat due to claims that they failed the aflatoxin test. The 38th International Organisation for Standardisation meeting discussed emerging standards development, implementation,...

Lors d'une réunion historique de deux jours qui s'est tenue au siège de la Communauté de l'Afrique de l'Est (CAE) à Arusha, en Tanzanie, la République du Kenya et la République unie de Tanzanie ont réussi à répondre à des préoccupations de longue date concernant l'exportation de volailles et de produits à base de volaille entre les deux pays. Dans ses remarques, M. Rabson Wanjala, coprésident kenyan de la réunion, a souligné l'importance cruciale du commerce entre les deux pays, en insistant sur la nécessité de poursuivre les consultations afin de rationaliser et de faciliter les processus commerciaux. Wanjala a déclaré que les deux pays s'étaient engagés à favoriser les relations commerciales, ajoutant que les engagements pris soulignaient l'importance des efforts de collaboration pour garantir l'augmentation des échanges dans la région. Pour sa part, le Dr. Benezeth Lutege Malinda, co-président de la réunion pour la Tanzanie, a fait écho aux sentiments de M. Wanjala, ajoutant que la Tanzanie s'est engagée à faire en sorte que toutes les agences de facilitation du commerce abordent et résolvent tous les problèmes qui entravent le commerce, en particulier les barrières non tarifaires (BNT) au commerce. "Nous restons déterminés à relever ces défis et à favoriser un environnement propice à la fluidité des échanges entre le Kenya et la Tanzanie", a-t-il déclaré. Le Kenya a toujours été un exportateur important de volailles et de produits liés à la volaille vers la Tanzanie, notamment de poussins d'un jour, d'œufs à couver, de géniteurs et de produits...

Tanzania and Kenya have successfully resolved a longstanding dispute over the export of poultry and poultry products between the two countries, the East African Community (EAC) said in a statement on Tuesday. The statement said the dispute was resolved during a two-day consultative meeting held at the EAC headquarters in Tanzania's northern city of Arusha that ended on Tuesday. Rabson Wanjala, the co-chair of the meeting from Kenya who represented the Kenyan High Commissioner to Tanzania, said both countries are committed to fostering trade relations, adding that their commitments underscore the importance of collaborative efforts to ensure increased trade in the region. Benezeth Lutege Malinda, acting director of veterinary services in Tanzania's Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, said Tanzania is actively addressing trade obstacles by ensuring that all trade-facilitating agencies focus on resolving issues, particularly non-tariff barriers, that hinder trade. "We remain committed to tackling these challenges and fostering an environment conducive to seamless trade between Kenya and Tanzania," he said. The meeting brought together veterinary authorities from both countries to resolve the ban on the export of poultry and poultry products from Kenya to Tanzania. Kenya has historically been a significant exporter of poultry and poultry-related products to Tanzania, including day-old chicks, hatching eggs, parent stock and processed poultry items, said the statement. According to the statement, Tanzania imposed a ban on poultry imports from Kenya in 2021 due to the global outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza, a ban that severely impacted Kenya's poultry industry, hindering access to...

Les femmes commerçantes à petite échelle jouent un rôle crucial dans la croissance économique et l'intégration régionale, mais elles sont confrontées à de nombreux défis, notamment en ce qui concerne le commerce transfrontalier dans des régions telles que la Corne de l'Afrique et l'Afrique de l'Est. La frontière de Moyale est un exemple de ces obstacles, qui vont des conditions environnementales difficiles aux longues procédures de dédouanement, en passant par les coûts de transaction élevés. En outre, l'absence d'espaces commerciaux sécurisés expose les femmes à des risques tels que le vol et le harcèlement, ce qui entrave encore davantage leurs activités économiques. En réponse à cette situation, TradeMark Africa (TMA), avec le financement d'Irish Aid et du programme EU-IGAD Covid-19 Response et en partenariat avec l'administration locale de Moyale et le gouvernement éthiopien, a lancé aujourd'hui une zone de commerce sécurisée (STZ) à Moyale. Il s'agit du troisième marché de ce type que TMA a construit dans la région, les autres étant situés à Tog Wajaale - l'un du côté de l'Éthiopie et l'autre du côté du Somaliland. Le marché de la zone commerciale sûre de Moyale accueillera 207 femmes commerçantes et leur offrira un environnement sûr et propice à la conduite de leurs affaires. Cette initiative marque une étape importante dans la lutte contre les obstacles structurels qui entravent la participation des femmes commerçantes au commerce transfrontalier en Éthiopie et au Kenya. La structure permanente est équipée d'installations sanitaires, d'étals de marché, de systèmes d'approvisionnement en eau, de salles...

The West African Regional Director of CUTS International, Mr Appiah Kusi Adomako has urged Ghanaian SMEs to collaborate and build partnerships to reduce the cost of exporting and trading under African Continental Free Trade Area. Speaking at a Public Private Dialogue organized by CUTS International Accra with support from Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on the theme “Making logistics work for Ghanaian SMEs to trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area,” in Accra, Mr Adomako said Ghanaian SMEs face logistical challenges in trading. These challenges include high cost of freight, unmotorable roads, non-existence of rail lines on the continent. This, according to him, makes it almost impossible for SMEs to trade under the AfCFTA. “SMEs who deal in the same goods should consider coming together, so they can save cost of production and export under the AfCFTA” he added. He further reiterated the importance of stakeholder collaboration to address the issue of trade logistics. “AfCFTA will not become successful if we do not address the issue of trade logistics, but this is something that the Government alone cannot do; it involves the private sector too. We need to decolonize trade logistics and Africans must own and operate shipping lines that can facilitate trade. Governments must provide the enabling framework to allow for the organic growth trade infrastructures, ” he said. Dr Stephen Amoah, a Deputy Finance Minister addressing participants He, however, noted that, “it is when the Government creates the enabling framework, the private sector will be able...

Kenyan legislators have ratified a preferential trade agreement with the European Union (EU), resolving a longstanding issue with fellow East African Community (EAC) members who declined a collective agreement in 2016. The Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) will afford Kenyan merchants duty-free and quota-free entry into the $13.9 trillion European market. According to the EU, total trade with Kenya soared to $3.5 billion in 2022, marking a 27% increase since 2018. As stipulated by the agreement, over the next 25 years, Kenya will progressively reduce tariffs on imports from the EU and offer incentives for European businesses to establish operations within the nation. The trade agreement commits the Kenyan government to uphold international labor standards and incorporates clauses addressing climate change. “The agreement contains binding, enforceable measures concerning international labor and environmental standards, including gender equality and climate change. It prohibits both parties from reducing these standards,” stated the European Parliament in a release dated March 1. Following the European Union lawmakers’ endorsement of the partnership in March 2023, the Kenyan parliament ratified the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). The next step involves the trade minister, who is required to hold a public consultation before implementing the agreement. “This is the inaugural agreement with a developing nation that mirrors the EU’s new strategy towards trade and sustainable development,” remarked the EU Parliament. The EU imports goods from Kenya valued at $1.28 billion, including prominent items such as cut flowers, vegetables, and fruits. Kenya stands as one of the principal suppliers of flowers...

IN a strong call to stakeholders at the opening of the tenth Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development, ARFSD-10, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Amina Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General said urgent action is needed to increase capital flows into developing countries, particularly in Africa to make the SDGs stimulus a reality. She also urged the international community to support Africa in its efforts to deliver its vision for development through the SDGs 2030 agenda and Agenda 2063. Mohammed told the multi-stakeholder forum of member states representatives, youth, civil society and private sector actors that African countries are facing significant challenges, including debt servicing, rising interest rates and limited fiscal space. “Debt servicing in Africa is at an all-time high due to external shocks, leaving very little fiscal space or nothing to invest in sustainable development.” Furthermore, debt servicing “accounted for a staggering 47.5% of government revenue in Sub Saharan Africa last year. This is the primary expenditure on essential services, as well as investments in the continent’s future in areas of education and health,” she said. According to Mohammed, at least $500 billion a year is needed to scale up affordable long-term financing for development, alongside structural reforms within the very institutions and rules that make up the international financial architecture. Echoing the Deputy Secretary-General, Robinah Nabbanja, Prime Minister of Uganda, stressed the need for reform of the global financial architecture to ensure favorable financing terms, stressing the need for long-term financing for developing countries to trigger sustainable economies. She said...

What you need to know: The grant marks a significant milestone in their ongoing efforts to enhance the global competitiveness of Tanzania’s horticultural products Arusha. Better days for the multi-million-dollar horticultural industry are in the offing, thanks to the latest strategic partnership between international and local organisations. Yesterday, TradeMark Africa (TMA) and the Tanzania Horticultural Association (TAHA) sealed an ambitious grant agreement to initiate Phase II of the jointly run project. The primary aim is to enhance access to regional and international markets for Tanzania's fresh produce. The three-year partnership, backed by a $2.1 million (Sh5.4 billion) grant from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), Norway, and Ireland-Funded TMA, also focuses on fostering sustainable trade practices and empowering local farmers in the horticultural industry. Details show that the ambitious project will upscale the production volume of strategic horticultural value chains destined for regional and overseas markets from 50,000 tonnes worth $18.3 million to 89,754 tonnes, with a potential for fetching $30.6 million per annum. Furthermore, the scheme will directly benefit an expanded cohort of horticultural growers nationwide, benefiting 55,708 individuals, a significant increase from the current 27,854 farmers. Notably, this group comprises predominantly women and youth who are actively engaged in cultivating strategic horticultural crops destined for export markets. Tanzania, known for its vibrant agriculture, has been a key player in the horticultural arena, exporting flowers, vegetables, spices, herbs and fruits like mangoes and avocados. However, despite the sub-sector's potential, challenges such as inadequate market access, limited logistical support,...