There has been a notable increase in the number of Non-Tariff Barriers during the COVID-19 pandemic period as countries increasingly took discretionary measures to contain the spread of the virus. COMESA Director of trade Dr Chris Onyango told delegates attending the fifth Meeting of the COMESA Trade and Trade Facilitation Sub-Committee last week, 6-8 October…
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Monday, 12th October 2020, Lusaka – “Among the challenges impacting industry competitiveness, is the lack of an affordable and effective platform which accommodates digital cross-border payments by SMEs. In an effort to address this challenge, CBC’s Digital Financial Inclusion program, piloted in 9 countries (Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia), is…
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Seven countries: Burundi, Rwanda, Comoros, Egypt, Ethiopia, Mauritius and Madagascar have nominated officers that will serve as the focal persons in operationalizing the newly developed COMESA Information Sharing Portal. The portal is a resource page for real time exchange of information on regional supply and demand of essential goods manufactured in the region. Developed to…
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Preparatory work for launch of a Corridor Trip Monitoring System (CTMS) pilot project are an advanced stage. The CTMS is an initiative of the tripartite regional blocs; the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) on trade and transport facilitation. Piloting of…
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The Regional Integration Capacity Building Project (RICB II) under the COMESA Adjustment Facility (CAF) is conducting project monitoring missions in Zambia to assess the progress attained and capture key results achieved at national level as the project closes in November this year. Zambia is among the countries that is benefiting from CAF /Regional Integration Support…
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The COMESA Secretariat has committed to support the improvement of key transboundary initiatives to improve efficiency at the Kasumbalesa border point between D R Congo and Zambia. Over the years, this border point has experienced efficiency challenges related to movement of cargo and now the two governments are actively engaged to finding a lasting solution…
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COMESA is developing a regional Statistics Strategy covering the period 2021-2025. Its main focus will be to strengthen the collection and dissemination of statistical information in the region with the overall objective of supporting regional integration. The current Statistics Strategy covered the period 2017-2020. COMESA stakeholders from Member States, Partner organizations and the Secretariat held…
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COMESA and Mauritius have agreed on the need to prioritize a regional-wide post-Covid-19 recovery plan to assist Member States get their economies back on their feet. In a meeting conducted virtually between COMESA Secretary General, Chileshe Kapwepwe and the Mauritius Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade Hon Nandcoomar BODHA, the two agreed…
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COMESA has welcomed the launch of the African Medical Supplies Platform (AMSP) as an invaluable One Stop Shop that will ensure access to safe and affordable quality medicines in Africa. Launched in June this year, the digital platform is intended to serve as a consolidated online marketplace to facilitate the provision of COVID-19-related medical products…
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The COMESA Secretariat has developed modules for an online course on trade and gender which will help the advancement of gender equality and empowerment of women in the region. This is part of an information kit presented to Member States in a virtual meeting of COMESA Gender Experts held on 21- 22 September. The revision…
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