Author: Mwangi Gakunga

Zambia is re-strategizing to increase its intra-COMESA trade share

The new government of Zambia is working on fresh strategies to increase its trade within the COMESA region, by closely collaborating with the COMESA Secretariat, which is based in Lusaka. This is according to the new Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry Hon. Chipoka Mulenga. In a meeting with COMESA Secretary General Chileshe Kapwepwe who…
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Congratulations to Zambia at 57!

October 24, 2021: Congratulations to the government and the people of Zambia on the auspicious occasion of the 57th Independence day Anniversary.    

Member States share experiences on border management amid COVID-19

Public officials working in customs, immigration, port health, drug law enforcement, and police from 11 COMESA Member States participated in a one-day regional webinar on implications of COVID-19 pandemic on border management. The event conducted on Wednesday 20 October 2021 was necessitated by the need to address the health challenges occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic…
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New study identifies gaps in youth engagement in democratic governance

A new baseline study conducted on youth engagement has found that only seven out of 21 COMESA countries have adopted youth quotas, which is now becoming a popular tool for increasing the political presence of underrepresented groups. The quotas are in three main forms: Legislated Quota, Political Party Quota, and the Reserved Quotas. Under the…
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COMFWB, DR Congo trains business mentors

To build capacity for the women in business in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the COMESA Federation of Women in Business, (COMFWB) through the national chapter, conducted a two-week Trainer of Trainers workshop aimed at developing business mentorship and training skills for various sector players. The training which targeted Congolese businesswomen was supported by the…
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COMESA at the Dubai Expo

Secretary General Chileshe Kapwepwe was one of the speakers at the Global Business Forum – Africa. Along with the Group Managing Director and Chief Executive of the Trade and Development Bank, Mr Admassu Tadesse, the two were among three discussants on the subject: Transformation Through Trade which is anchored on three pillars: RESET – RESTORE…
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Intra-COMESA export trade drops by 11%

The value of Intra-COMESA total exports declined by 11% from US$ 10.9 billion in 2019 to US$ 9.7 billion in 2020. The low performance was attributed to the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic and pre-existing factors such as supply-side challenges and prevalence of Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs). According to an update presented at the ongoing 37th Meeting…
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COMESA, UN-Women Mark International Rural Women’s Day

COMESA and the UN Women East and Southern Africa Regional Office (UN Women ESARO) have organized a two-day webinar to mark the International Rural Women’s Day, that falls on 12 October. The event is aimed at utilizing the Day’s celebrations to disseminate the findings of two studies that were conducted by UN-Women, during the period…
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COMESA conducts study on formalizing the informal economy in the region

COMESA has conducted a study, which reviewed Member States policies related to the formalisation of the informal economy, focusing on informal trade. The study focused on the drivers of informality, the impacts of informality on the economy, including on government revenue and on productivity. It also identified the policies that Member States have instituted to…
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€100,000 worth of equipment to facilitate border trade fish trade commissioned in Zambia

COMESA has commissioned EUR 100,000 worth of equipment under its Green Pass (GP) Certification Scheme in Luangwa District of Zambia, to facilitate small-scale cross border trade in fish. The procurement of the equipment was funded under the 11 European Development Fund (EDF) Small Scale Cross Border Trade Initiative (SSCBTI) Programme. The equipment was commissioned on…
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