Author: Mwangi Gakunga

File/ Customs meeting

Call to restart the regional customs programme

There is fresh attempt to revitalize the COMESA Customs Union agenda, which will result in the full realization of the Common Market. The COMESA economic integration timetable envisaged the attainment of the Customs Union by 2004, but this has since faced headwinds that has stalled the programme. As a result, COMESA Secretariat has called for…
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Steps to shield the youth from the pandemic sting

COMESA countries have come together to deliberate on ways to cushion the youth in the region from the negative impacts of the COVID-19 in the region. Subsequently, a two-day experience-sharing meeting and mitigation was conducted on 28 -29 September 2021. In attendance were young people, youth experts from governments led by Permanent Secretaries, and representatives…
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Yellow Card Council of Bureaux edges closer to full autonomy

The Yellow Card Council of Bureaux is set for full autonomy following the approval of the relevant legal instruments, by the Ministers of Justice and Attorneys General from COMESA Member States. In their 10th meeting conducted virtually on 29 September 2021, the Ministers and AGs approved the Charter of the Bureaux, Staff and Procurement Rules.…
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Trade experts meet to speed-up negotiations on market access

Trade experts from Member States concluded a three-day virtual meeting, Thursday 30 September2021, which reviewed progress on the liberalization of trade in services for enhanced market access under the COMESA Free Trade Area. The meeting was the 10th for the COMESA Trade in Services Committee. It received updates from Members States on the progress they…
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Zambian student invents a medicine dispenser

One of the challenges people face in developing countries is access to health facilities owing to long distances. Overcrowding by patients seeking medical assistance in the available health facilities is quite prevalent, while in some far-flung rural areas, people barely have access to health personnel. This is what inspired Billy Munyenyembe, a final year student…
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Handling of small-scale cross border traders among key topics at border staff  training

COMESA has trained its Trade Information Desk Officers (TIDOs) that serve in selected borders in the region, on how to implement the Simplified Trade Regime and ensure the minimum standards for the treatment of small- scale cross border traders are upheld. The training was conducted on 23 September 2021 as part of capacity building for…
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States urged to strengthen value chains for post Covid-19 economic recovery

Regional states should strengthen existing value chains both at the regional and global level and develop new ones to unlock the transformative potential in manufacturing and industrial sectors in COMESA. This will enable the region to fully participate in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) while keeping pace with changing production and consumption patterns…
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Digital Yellow Card helpdesk launched

The COMESA Regional Third-Party Motor Vehicle Insurance (Yellow Card) Scheme has launched a Digital Yellow Card Helpdesk System designed to track all queries reported by users. The Application which is accessible on https://yellowcardsupport.comesa.int will allow National Bureaux, Primary Insurance Companies and Motorists in member countries to channel all their queries and requests via Email, Phone…
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Burundi, DR Congo set to rollout out Simplified Trade Regime

Small cross border trade between Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo is set to flourish after the two countries begun the process towards implementation of the COMESA Simplified Trade Regime (STR). This will be done under the soon to be launched Great Lakes Trade Facilitation and Regional Integration Project, (GLTFIP) which covers the two…
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The 8th COMESA Annual Research Forum

Thursday, September 16, 2021: Over 200 participants drawn from the academia, think tanks, government and the private, the private sector from the region and globally participated in the eighth annual COMESA Research Forum which took place virtually on 13 – 16 September 2021. The four-day forum received presentations on research papers focusing on regional mitigation…
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