Activities have begun towards implementation of a €6.8 million project to upgrade the priority cross-border infrastructure and equipment at selected border points between Zambia on one hand and Malawi, Zimbabwe and Tanzania on the other. These are Mwami, Chirundu and Nakonde respectively. The first project implementation workshop was conducted in Zambia on March 21, 2021…
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There is need to shift approaches in border management in the region to focus more on facilitation as opposed to control in order to ease free movement of persons. This will facilitate regional trade and lead to higher levels of integration and economic development. This was expressed at the 11th meeting of the COMESA Chiefs…
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Eighteen out of 21 COMESA Member States have so far nominated focal point persons to be responsible for management of the COMESA Online Trade Portal and coordinate with national stakeholders to compile information needed to update the live platform at the country level. The Platform was approved by the Council of Ministers in May 2020,…
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The Tripartite Sectoral Ministerial Committee for Trade, Customs, Finance, Economic Matters and Home/Internal Affairs has approved guidelines to facilitate the safe mass movement of persons and personal goods across the region while mitigating the spread of COVID-19. The guidelines will subsequently be tabled before the next meeting of the COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Council of Ministers, planned…
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In collaboration with the European Union, COMESA is supporting the development of an efficient national Sanitary and Phytosanitary System (SPS) in Comoros. The support has been provided to the National Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and the Environment (INRAPE), through the COMESA Adjustment Fund (CAF) under the Regional Integration Support Mechanism (RISM) programme. Activities under…
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As procedure manual and checklist for maize trade are developed The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) working with COMESA’s specialised Seed Agency ACTESA, have developed Regional Seed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to improve regional seed trade in staple food crops. This is in addition to audit checklist mechanism for maize trade. These…
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The implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area whose trading commenced on 1st January 2021 is expected to provide the missing ingredient to intra-COMESA trade, according to a research expert at the COMESA Secretariat. In a paper titled: AfCTA – A Stimulant to Intra COMESA Trade, Senior Research Fellow, Mr. Benedict Musengele highlighted the…
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The growth of digital finance in the COMESA region has deepened financial inclusion of millions of people, households and firms thus cushioning them against the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a report prepared by Senior Economist at the COMESA Monetary Institute, Dr Lucas Njoroge, digital finance, driven by mobile money and agent…
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A training programme to build the capacity of trade information desk officers stationed at selected border posts is underway. The objective is to integrate them in border operations and enhance their working relationship with State agencies manning border posts. The Trade Information Desk Officers (TIDOs) are stationed in selected borders in the COMESA region primarily…
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e-COMESA Newsletter 651
