BY MUKELO MAGAGULA
MBABANE – The Kingdom of Eswatini has accepted the Chairmanship of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).
Eswatini will assume this post in 2025, taking over from Egyptian President Fattah El Sisi who also took the post from Madagascar President during the 21st Summit of the COMESA Authority of Heads of States that was held on November 23, 2021.
COMESA (as defined by its Treaty) was established ‘as an organisation of free independent sovereign states which have agreed to co-operate in developing their natural and human resources for the good of all their people’ and as such it has a wide-ranging series of objectives which necessarily include in its priorities the promotion of peace and security in the region.
When accepting the baton on behalf of His Majesty the King and the country at COMESA’s headquarters offices in Zambia, Prime Minister Cleopas Sipho Dlamini said the Kingdom of Eswatini is one of the founder members of COMESA and it is committed to the COMESA regional integration agenda.
“In this regard, we look forward to accept the baton when our time comes, and pursue the agenda further for the betterment of our people’s standard of living,” he said.
The premier stated that the government of Eswatini has benefitted immensely through various programmes which cut across all sectors of government and the private sector.
“Of note is the recently constructed Manzini Trade Hub under the Inhlanganisela yaboMake and Trade Support Programme which COMESA has funded,” he said.
The head of government explained that this flagship structure is already assisting women traders to conduct their trade under a conducive atmosphere away from the heat of the sun, and other unfavourable weather conditions.
He stated that other sectors that have benefitted from COMESA are customs automation, statistics, investment promotion, leather and leather products value chains, quality and standards, COMESA Federation of Women in Business (COMFWB) and agriculture, to name just a few.
He continued: “Furthermore, the Kingdom of Eswatini continues to trade with other COMESA Member States albeit under a waiver, with products that include sugar-based drink concentrates, sugar, fridges and freezers, slide fasteners and others.”
The PM explained that in November 2022, Eswatini ratified the Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) and this is a huge milestone towards fulfilling the regional integration agenda.
“It is therefore against such a backdrop that we see it imperative for us as a country to accept this very important responsibility when our time comes,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister also met with the Director General of the Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr Jean Kaseya.
The acceptance of chairmanship by Eswatini comes a few months after Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Thuli Dladla visited Zambia in April this year where she indicated that the trade hub is a milestone achievement in easing trading for over 300 handicraft traders and will impact over 400 businesses.
It was disclosed that COMESA provided Eswatini with more than three million Euros under the COMESA Adjustment Facility in collaboration with the European Union.
It was stated that the last tranche under this fund was utilized to build the Trade Hub which will also house the COMESA Federation of Women in Business Eswatini Branch.
ABOUT COMESA
The history of COMESA began in December 1994 when it was formed to replace the former Preferential Trade Area (PTA) which had existed from the earlier days of 1981. COMESA (as defined by its Treaty) was established ‘as an organisation of free independent sovereign states which have agreed to co-operate in developing their natural and human resources for the good of all their people’ and as such it has a wide-ranging series of objectives which necessarily include in its priorities the promotion of peace and security in the region. However, due to COMESA’s economic history and background its main focus is on the formation of a large economic and trading unit that is capable of overcoming some of the barriers that are faced by individual states.. COMESA’s current strategy can thus be summed up in the phrase ‘economic prosperity through regional integration’. With its 21 Member States, population of over 583 million a Gross Domestic Product of $805 billion, a global export/import trade in goods worth US$ 324 billion, COMESA forms a major market place for both internal and external trading. Geographically, COMESA almost two thirds of the African Continent with an area of 12 Million (sq km).
Courtesy Pics of Eswatini Government
