Experts discuss establishment of free trade area in southern Africa
Thématique :
SADC
Lusaka - 03/06/2008
Policy-makers and experts are in Lusaka for a three-day United Nations Economic Commission for Africa-Southern Africa (UNECA-SA) meeting to review progress on the establishment of a Free Trade Area (FTA) and Customs Union in southern Africa.
The meeting will review progress on the readiness of southern African countries to form the FTA and also analyse the opportunities and challenges towards the attainment of FTA and customs union.
The meeting, being held under the theme, ''achieving Free Trade Area and Customs Union: emerging challenges and opportunities for Southern Africa'', is part of the annual inter-governmental committee of experts of ECA-SA.
Officials at the meeting were however quick to allay fears expressed over overlapping membership of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), which is feared may affect the FTA.
SADC and COMEA have set up teams to address the issue of overlapping membership, and government officials and experts from the two regional economic groups are scheduled to meet in October this year for a summit to find ways of harmonising trade regimes.
Zambia's Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Commerce Trade and Industry, Davidson Chilipamushi, in supporting Zambia's dual membership of SADC and COMESA, noted that the two bodies offered trade opportunities.
He, however, said the target should be how to achieve regional integration.
Under the regional integration time frame of SADC, completion of negotiations for a customs union has been set at 2010, completion of negotiations for a common market at 2015, establishment of a monetary union at 2016 and the establishment of a regional central bank with one common currency at 2018.
Policy-makers and experts are in Lusaka for a three-day United Nations Economic Commission for Africa-Southern Africa (UNECA-SA) meeting to review progress on the establishment of a Free Trade Area (FTA) and Customs Union in southern Africa.
The meeting will review progress on the readiness of southern African countries to form the FTA and also analyse the opportunities and challenges towards the attainment of FTA and customs union.
The meeting, being held under the theme, ''achieving Free Trade Area and Customs Union: emerging challenges and opportunities for Southern Africa'', is part of the annual inter-governmental committee of experts of ECA-SA.
Officials at the meeting were however quick to allay fears expressed over overlapping membership of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), which is feared may affect the FTA.
SADC and COMEA have set up teams to address the issue of overlapping membership, and government officials and experts from the two regional economic groups are scheduled to meet in October this year for a summit to find ways of harmonising trade regimes.
Zambia's Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Commerce Trade and Industry, Davidson Chilipamushi, in supporting Zambia's dual membership of SADC and COMESA, noted that the two bodies offered trade opportunities.
He, however, said the target should be how to achieve regional integration.
Under the regional integration time frame of SADC, completion of negotiations for a customs union has been set at 2010, completion of negotiations for a common market at 2015, establishment of a monetary union at 2016 and the establishment of a regional central bank with one common currency at 2018.
