Lusaka, Monday, November 25, 2024: The 45th COMESA Policy Organs Meetings have opened in Lusaka, Zambia today Monday 25 November 2024 with the Intergovernmental Committee (IC), comprising of Permanent and Principal Secretaries from the coordinating Ministries of the 21 Member States attending.
The IC will meet for the next two-days during which the delegates will review the implementation of COMESA’s regional integration programmes for the past year and plan for the 2025 work programme. Progress made in the past 30 years of COMESA’s existence will be in focus as the bloc marks the anniversary on 8 December 2024.
Addressing the delegates during the official opening ceremony, Zambia’s Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry Hon. Chipoka Mulenga said significant change has been recorded in the region over the past years as the bloc has continued to grow stronger.
“Indeed, as we mark 30 years of regional integration, our achievements cannot be insignificant. The COMESA that is today is not what it was 30 years ago in terms of development,” he said. “Our countries are more vibrant, with increased cross-border trade, improved infrastructure and industrial activities and an overall positive trend in socio-economic development.”
He was represented by the Minister of Tourism Hon. Rhodine Sikumba.
Regarding the various challenges that the region has endured such as effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and most recently climate change, the Minister commended Member States for their resilience.
Among the key milestones highlighted at the meeting is the implementation of various trade facilitation programmes which has boosted small-scale cross border trade, and enhanced the use of electronic tools to ease management and processing of documents at border points. Outlining COMESA’s milestones in the implementation of the free trade area regime, Secretary General Chileshe Mpundu Kapwepwe said intra-COMESA export trade is now at US$14 billion.
She highlighted the benefits of embracing the automation and digitisation of customs procedures and clearances which has resulted in reduced clearance times at border points for both passenger and goods. In addition, the Simplified Trade Regime is now being implemented in eight countries namely Burundi, DRC, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Other programmes under implementation include the Support to Air Transport Sector (SATSD), the Regional Infrastructure Finance Facility (RIFF) and the Enhancement of Governance and Enabling Environment for the ICT Sector (EGEE-ICT) programme among many others.
Ms Kapwepwe also commended COMESA’s co-operating partners particularly the European Union, the World Bank, African Development Bank, Afrexim Bank, UN Trade and Development Organisation (UNCTAD) and the World Customs Organisation for supporting the integration through various sector initiatives.