The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA ) says it has managed to work on 199 countries out of the 204 countries recorded in 2008 affected by the Non Trade Barriers (NTB).
Speaking during the Common Market Eastern and Southern Africa, Zambia media Workshop ,Director of Trade and Industry, Francis Mangangeni said there were 204 COMESA countries with the NTB but only 5 are remaining.
Dr. Mangangeni said the remaining five countries include Zambia are under high level of consultations.
And speaking at the same event, Director of Industry and Agriculture, Thiery Mutombo said the authority head of states declared COMESA as a common investment area in 1998.
Dr.Mutombo said in most African countries agriculture remains the source of livelihoods and the largest employer of any sector in the economy.
“However we should not only look at our internal business but meet the needs of the outside economy when it comes to agriculture “,said Dr.Mutombo.
He said although there has been as decline in the relative number of agriculture workers it still accounts for the majority of the working population in the region, employing about 65 percent of the total labour force for Sub Saharan Africa (SSA).
“The population in SSA is expected to more than double by 2050 coinciding with an associated increase in demand for food and employment hence ,a significant need to enhance agriculture, said Dr.Mutombo.
Trend analysis shows that COMESA exports to the rest of the world (ROW) has grown from US $ 5 billion to US $17 billion between 1997 and 2013, a 240 percent Increase added Dr.Mutombo
Zambia should tread carefully here. Protect local farmers.
No such thing as “non trade barriers” Mr Mangemi cuz trade is trade.You should’ve said “non tariff barriers”
@2 Mzambia..Do you expert a DIRECTOR OF TRADE AT COMESA not to know that NTB is Non Tariff Barrier?? This is a mistake of the author rather that of Mangeni. The author is even calling complaints as countries, how can we have a “….(COMESA ) says it has managed to work on 199 countries out of the 204 countries recorded in 2008 affected by the Non Trade Barriers (NTB)”- recording “countries” and later working on them??? This is an issue of an author who could hardly related to the subject so ended up getting words twisted!!
Bwafya i think you’re actually correct ,its the incompetent journalists mistake.
This article contains serious factual errors. The facts are: Comesa countries are 19. Out of 204 non tariff barriers reported in the 19 member States since 2008, Comesa has helped to resolve 196. This is what Dr Francis Mang’eni, (not mangangeni) director of trade and customs told journalists.
Correction on typo:
Out of 204 NTBs reported 199 have been resolved.