BY BANELE MAGONGO
MBABANE – Aiming to boost Eswatini’s trade participation under the AfCFTA, the Eswatini’s private sector was encouraged to engage with the secretariat panel composed of trade experts.
According to a statement sent to this publication by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade, Eswatini will welcome a delegation from the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, led by His Excellency Wamkele Mene, the Secretary General of the AfCFTA Secretariat. The AfCFTA Secretariat will be in the country on a two- day visit and will be meeting with the Private Sector on Friday 31st May 2024 at 11am at the Royal Villas in Ezulwini.
It is stated that the Secretariat will be in the country to engage with the Private Sector on the benefits of the AfCFTA Agreement and how the Private Sector can take advantage of the available African market comprising of 1.3 billion people and a combined GDP of US$3.4 trillion (which is about E62 363 990 000 000.01). In a bid to accelerate the implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement and following the announcement by the Minister of Commerce Industry and Trade on the start of trade under the AfCFTA, the Ministry invited the AfCFTA Secretariat to visit the country to engage with different stakeholders including the traders and also the National Trade Facilitation Committee, which is mandated to be the National Implementation Committee of the agreement.
It is expected that during the engagement with the private sector, the AfCFTA Secretariat will highlight on the steps towards producing with a focus on the African market and also on the required investments to support the utilisation of the Agreement and in addressing obstacles to trading in the African continent. Participation during the engagement is also expected from MSMEs, women and the youth who are the most segment of the economy.
The country’s traders were encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to engage with the Secretariat, comprised of experts on both trade in goods and trade in services. The Private Sector will get an opportunity to pose questions and actively discuss issues or experiences when trading in Africa. It is expected that following this engagement, there will be an increase in the uptake of the agreement, with more traders registering to trade under the AfCFTA.
