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TICTRADE INDUSTRY Ta AND CUSTOMSlk Issue N°7 July 2019 The Newsletter of the Department of Trade and Industry Head of Industry Division Mr. Hussein serves as the Head of Industry Division in the Trade and Industry Department since August 2007, where his key duties are: Formulate appropriate policies and plans of action- develop programs and project proposals relating to Industrial policies and coordinate and harmonize it among the AU Member States and REC’s; small of industrial development; Industrial cooperation with International Organizations, Academia, private sector and Civil Societies; and Monitoring and Evaluation of Implementation of AU programs of developing industrial in Africa. Mr. Hussein holds a master of Public Policy and Management (MPP) majoring in “Trade and Industry” from the Korean Development Institute of Public Policy and Management Ministers of Trade and Industry (From 1990- until end of July 2007) in Cairo, Egypt. DTI Portfolio 2017 AfCFTA One Year Later: The Road Travelled and the Road towards Launch of the Operational Phase The 8 th African Union Ministers of Trade (AMOT) Meeting ends with optimistic tone and clear way forward for the Official Launch of the Operational Phase of the AfCFTA Editorial The Newsletter of the Department of Trade and Industry Africa is poised to launch the operational phase of the AfCFTA By H.E. Amb. Albert M. Muchanga - Commissioner for Trade and Industry he current issue of the DTI integration in Africa. With Africa is poised to launch Newsletter celebrates these additional protocols, the operational phase of Tthe delivery of one of the we are further transforming the African Continental Flagship Projects of African Africa by removing physical Free Trade Area at an Union Agenda 2063: The and commercial barriers that Extraordinary Summit of Africa We Want. This is the have hitherto hindered trade African Union Heads of State African Continental Free among our countries. With and Government to be held Trade Area. this landmark achievement, in Niamey, Niger on 7th July the Continent is poised this year. In so doing, we aim Through it, Africa is reshaping to develop a harmonized at coming up with an active her small and fragmented market space which and efficient market. markets to create one will in turn promote the integrated market with large development of regional The Department has been economies of scale and value chains that will be very active in other areas of scope. The project brings linked competitively to global Continental and international with it additional protocols value chains. The African development cooperation on Investment, competition Continental Free Trade Area as will be seen in the policy and intellectual is in this respect expected to contributions in this edition. property rights. promote the development These are equally informative of manufacturing and agro- and will keep readers up to Their negotiation will date on the work of the start this year and these processing across Africa, and with them, accelerated Department of Trade and protocols, when concluded, Industry. will greatly contribute economic diversification and to deepening economic competitiveness. 2 3 The Newsletter of the Department of Trade and Industry On a Technical Note Accompanying the Implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area: Part II By Chiza Charles CHIUMYA - Officer In Charge, Trade Division n Issue No. 5 of the TIC Talk aimed at dealing with all 2019. Given the signatures Newsletter, the Technical other bottlenecks that affect and the ratifications so far, INote therein celebrated intra African trade including the African 32nd Summit the signing of the African issues of inconsistent trade of Heads of States and Continental Free Trade policies, inadequate trade government decided to Area (AfCFTA) Agreement facilitation, availability and hold a commemorative that took place during accessibility of trade finance, Extraordinary Summit in July 10th African Union Extra and trade information 2019 in Niamey, Niger. This Ordinary Summit of Heads asymmetries, among others. will be very symbolic as the of States and Government. President of the Republic Thereafter, a lot of progress of Niger H.E. Mahamadou The Technical Note has been registered towards Issoufou is the Champion emphasized the need to the entry into force of the of the AfCFTA. If all the 55 ensure that the AfCFTA Agreement. Among others, members of the African is accompanied by as we went to press, 53 out Union sign and ratify the implementation of all the of the 55 member States of Agreement, the AfCFTA will necessary and sufficient the African Union had signed have the largest membership flanking measures so that it the Agreement and on 30th of a Free Trade Area in the yields the expected results April, history was once again world since the launch of the and thereby achieves what is made as the required 22 GATT (now the World Trade has been designed to do. In deposits of instrument of Organization, WTO) 70 years this regard, it dwelt much on ratification, required for the ago. the need to fully implement Agreement to enter into the Action Plan for Boosting force, were attained. Thus This Technical Note takes the Intra African Trade given that the AfCFTA Agreement discussion further by looking its programs and actions are enters into force on 30th May, at other aspects that would 2 3 On a Technical Note The Newsletter of the Department of Trade and Industry enable the AfCFTA to deliver Committees will ensure swiftly in establishing the upon its promises to the the proper coordination various institutions envisaged African people. of all stakeholders in both in the Agreement. the implementation of the The first aspect of the Strategy and in establishing The mandate to establish same is to ensure that the a continuous loop of some of these institutions AfCFTA is mainstreamed in consultations especially has already been given to the the trade policies at both among the civil society, and African Union Commission the national and regional the public and private sectors. but the Commission will levels. The AfCFTA will not It will also be value adding require all the necessary operate in a vacuum of other to have Regional AfCFTA support from Member states trade arrangements, either Strategies and Committees as well as partners to make the bilateral or multilateral. The in the same breath. same possible. For instance, implementation of the other the establishment of the trade arrangements may The third aspect is to ensure AfCFTA Secretariat and the either foster or hinder the that there is adequate African Trade Observatory, functioning of the AfCFTA. information about the which is already underway AfCFTA at all levels. This will needs to be expedited. The key therefore is to clearly require a vigorous period Having the supporting identify interoperability of sensitization campaigns. institutions in place at all of these agreements and Whilst this process has levels will play a vital role arrangements with the been ongoing for a while in the implementation AfCFTA. The guiding light and larger African masses and administrations of this for all stakeholders therefore have heard about the landmark Agreement. needs to be that this is the AfCFTA, there is need now first time in the history of to inform the populace and African Integration that a other stakeholders that the trade agreement covering Agreement has now entered the entire continent has been into force and that its time birthed. It is this same wisdom for them to utilize the same. that guided both the 31st ‘‘ To buttress and 32nd Ordinary Summits The messaging therefore the first point, of the African Union to urge needs to deliberately target and reiterate the need for how the Agreement can be the second aspect Member States to abstain utilized. The private sector, from entering into bilateral organized or otherwise, who is for State parties trading arrangements until are the main beneficiaries of to the AfCFTA the entry into force of the this agreement will need to Agreement establishing the be specifically targeted with Agreement to AfCFTA. this information. Accessibility invest effectively of information on the AfCFTA To buttress the first point, will therefore need to be in the process the second aspect is for given special priority taking State parties to the AfCFTA into account the modes of developing Agreement to invest of access as well as the AfCFTA National effectively in the process languages of the continent. of developing AfCFTA Thus a robust communication Strategies as well National Strategies as well as Strategy should form part establishing National AfCFTA and parcel of the AfCFTA roll as establishing Committees. The Strategies out implementation plan. National AfCFTA are key in providing the required direction on how For all the above to work Committees each respective State seamlessly especially at the party plans to utilize the onset of the Agreement, the Agreement and the National African Union needs to move ‘‘ 4 5 The Newsletter of the Department of Trade and Industry Point of View AfCFTA One Year Later: The Road Travelled and the Road Towards Launch of the Operational Phase By H.E. Amb. Albert M. Muchanga - African Union Commissioner for Trade and Industry n this commemorative Summit of the Assembly of 2063: The Africa We Want. article, the African Union African Union Heads of State ICommissioner for Trade and Government in Kigali, Making the Agreement and Industry outlines what Rwanda. At that Summit, operational is as important has been achieved since forty-four African Union as having signatories. While the AfCFTA Agreement Member States signed the awaiting the remaining was opened for signature historic Agreement. The three Member-States to sign on 21st March, 2018 in number rose to forty-nine at on, Africa is progressing Kigali, Rwanda and what the July, 2018 Nouakchott, very well in the direction is expected as the African Mauritania Summit.