BY MBONO MDLULI
MBABANE – Government, through the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade, is grateful to the Government of the United States of America (USA) for retaining Eswatini to be part of the African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA).
The Ministry, through a statement issued by Minister for Commerce, Industry and Trade Manqoba Khumalo, said it was grateful to the US Government for support through the decision to retain Eswatini in the AGOA programme.
Minister Khumalo said the retention was a milestone for Eswatini, as it opened up many opportunities for the country’s growth and development. Khumalo described AGOA as a platform that gave Eswatini a preferential access to the USA market, allowing companies in the country to expand their exports and create more job opportunities.
Khumalo also mentioned that his ministry and the US Embassy had revived the AGOA Working Group. He said this group was going to play a vital role in optimising the benefits of AGOA in the country, whilst addressing issues that were raised by the US Government as being critical to sustain Eswatini’s eligibility in the long term.
He also thanked the US Government to make the Economics Office held by Chris Wall permanent. This appointment, according to the minister, signified a crucial step towards economic development and would serve as a focal point for Eswatini’s AGOA participation and other investment opportunities that had been under exploration.
Moving forward, the minister expressed confidence in the ability of Eswatini to strengthen trade ties with USA. He hoped that the AGOA development would pave way for increased investments, technology transfers and economic development.
