H. E. Albert Muchanga |
The Commissioner
for Trade and Industry at the African Union (AU), H. E. Albert Muchanga has said that the full implementation of the
African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) will result in a prosperous Africa
based on inclusive growth and Sustainable Development, in line with the
Aspiration 1 of the AU Agenda 2063.
Muchanga stated this on Thursday while presenting a
report on the launching and implementation of the AfCFTA at the ongoing Third
Ordinary Session of the Fifth Parliament of the Pan African Parliament (PAP) in
Midrand, South Africa.
He recalled that in
July 2019, the agreement establishing the AfCFTA officially entered into force
at Niamey, Niger Republic during the Extra Ordinary Summit of the African Union
Heads of State and Government. The Summit also approved Ghana as the host of
the AfCFTA Secretariat.
“Pursuant to the
provisions of Rule 26(3) of the Pan African Parliament’s Rules of Procedure,
the Committee on Trade, Customs and Immigration Matters has the specific
responsibility of introducing issues relating to the development of sound
policy for cross border, regional and continental concerns within the area of
trade, customs and immigration for consideration by the Chamber and to come up
with recommendations on how best to manage the issue of Intra-African trade on
the continent. The Committee on Trade, Customs and Immigration matters works in
collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC) Department of Trade and
Industry” he said.
Explaining further,
Muchanga stated that PAP is expected
to play an important role in the implementation of the AfCFTA in a number of
ways. First, it should advocate for the ratification of the AfCFTA by all
member States of the AU by December 2019 to enable the actualization of the
vision to create a single African market. Secondly, PAP should also advocate
for the ratification and domestication of all relevant trade agreements by the
AU member states as well as advocate and lobby for the removal of tariff and
non-tariff barriers to trade. Thirdly, PAP should advocate the empowerment of
National Portfolio Committees on Trade to effectively carry out their
parliamentary oversight and legislative functions and hold the executive accountable
on the ratification of trade agreements as well as the implementation of trade
facilitation measures.
Concluding, Muchanga reminded the parliamentarians
that the AU has designated July 7 of every year as the Africa Integration day
in commemoration of the entry into force of the AfCFTA on July 7, 2019.
Hon. McHenry VANAANI |
In his
presentation, the Chairperson the of the PAP Committee on Trade, Customs and
Immigration Matters, Hon. McHenry
VANAANI noted that his Committee had organized workshops and briefings on
the AfCFTA and participated in many Forums on trade facilitation in the
continent.
Hon. Vanaani recalled that after the AU Decision on the
Agreement establishing the AfCFTA and the adoption of the Protocol on Free
Movement of Persons, the PAP during its Sixth Ordinary Session of the Fourth
Parliament in May, 2018, resolved to initiate advocacy activities to expedite
the signature, ratification, domestication and implementation of the Agreement
establishing the AfCFTA and the Protocol on to the Treaty establishing the
African Economic Community relating to Free Movement of Persons, Right of
Residence and Right of Establishment. He also recalled that PAP resolved to work
towards the harmonization of Member State’s laws, policies and structures in
order to facilitate the implementation of the AfCFTA and the Protocol on the
Free Movement of Persons.
The PAP also
adopted a resolution for the establishment of a Parliamentary Forum on Trade,
Customs and Immigration “to ensure capacity building, experience, knowledge
sharing amongst African members of parliaments on parliamentary monitoring of and
oversight over trade agreements and deals”.
The Forum will
create an interactive platform for African Parliamentarians to ensure best
practices on trade facilitation, working in collaboration with the Speakers/
Presidents and Clerks of African Parliaments as well as promote regional
integration, advance the adoption of legislation that facilitate the
establishment of One–Stop–Border Posts on the continent and the removal of
tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade.
Concluding, Hon. Vanaani stated that “the
intensification of Intra-African trade will contribute to the economic diversification
of the African economy, increase the competitiveness of its exports and create
employment for the African youth. The strengthening of intra-African trade
presupposes an integration programme as a collective strategy of development
and transformation which must lead to the establishment of a continental
market”.
After the two
presentations, the PAP President Rt.
Hon. Roger Nkodo Dang opened the floor for contributions by
parliamentarians.
Contributing to the
debate, Hon. Maxas Bweupe NG’ONGA (Zambia) described the coming into
force of the AfCFTA as one of the most important decisions made by the AU to
move Africa forward noting that we have in the past, been divided due to
artificial barriers imposed on us and posited that the AfCFTA will help to
dismantle those barriers.
In his
contribution, Hon. Joseph Yeleh CHIREH
(Ghana) stated that a befitting
honour has been bestowed on the foremost Pan Africanist late Dr. Kwame NKRUMAH by the decision to
site the Secretariat of the AfCFTA in Ghana noting that the country has been making
efforts to sensitize her people on the benefits of hosting the AfCFTA
Secretariat.
Also contributing, Hon. Noreddine KARBAL (Morocco)
requested for an evaluation of the impact of the AfCFTA on the lives of
ordinary Africans and called for the political will to fully implement this historic continental trade agreement. He
sought to know how the AfCFTA can be coordinated with the regional economic
blocks.
In his
contribution, Hon. Dr. Tapiwa Mashakada
(Zimbabwe) described the trade agreement as the engine room for growth that
will boost employment and make sure that Africa will have access to cheaper
products. He noted that the agreement will create a single market of 1.8
billion people with more than $3 trillion in GDP. He urged the PAP to play a
bigger role in popularizing the AfCFTA and
in making national legislatures to equally play their part. Hon. Mashakada maintained that free
movement of goods and services cannot succeed without the free movement of
persons and urged the ratification of the Protocol on the
Free Movement of Persons.
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