The 13th Extra-Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of States has adopted and declared the start of trading under the Agreement
establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to commence from 1 January 2021.
This followed the adoption by the 13th Extraordinary Summit of the Johannesburg Declaration on the Start of Trading Under the AfCFTA.
And President Edgar Lungu has welcome the adoption of the Johannesburg Declaration.
He expressed delight to note that substantial progress had been made on the conclusion of deliberations on Rules of Origin which are critical to facilitate free movement of goods.
He also stated that as leaders proceeded with opening of the borders, member states needed to be mindful of the need to ensure that necessary accompanying facilities and procedures were in place to facilitate smooth trade amongst them.
He said key to this process was the investment in trade related infrastructure such as road, rail, and air transport networks, as well as development of modern border infrastructure and port facilities.
He said as such, member states needed to accelerate the implementation of the continental infrastructure programme, which was a necessary precondition upon which the successful implementation of the AfCFTA Area depended.
In this regard, President Lungu welcomed the adoption of Rules of Origin that would not only promote trade within the Continent but also protect member states’ industries particularly the Dairy, Sugar, Wheat, Textiles and Edible Oils industries, which were sensitive and have potential for substantial revenue earnings for most of the member states on the continent.
He said he was aware that of the fact that the implementation of the AfCFTA may present both opportunities and challenges to member states.
He said among the key challenges would be the foregone revenue as a result of preferential trade.
He also informed the Assembly that substantial progress has been made by Zambia to ratify the Treaty of the AfCFTA and said Parliament was expected to finalize its adoption.
President Lungu was represented by Minister of Commerce and Industry, Hon. Christopher Yaluma who made the remarks on his behalf.
The African Union is holding the 13th and 14th Extraordinary Sessions of the Assembly of Heads of States virtually to resolve issues surrounding the AfCFTA and the Silencing of the Guns in Africa.
Great news… money should circulate within Africa
This will annoy many upnd diasporans and their masters there abroad. They don’t want to see us unite because they know our unity marks the beginning of the end of Babylon. This is great development. I have always said that one day Europeans will beg to move to Africa. The full diasporans are so daft they ran to countries which will soon beg to come to Africa.
Dairy, wheat, sugar, textiles and edible oils, in which of these is Zambia strong? Dairy is controlled by Italians, sugar by the French, edible oils by Italians and East Africans, wheat by the British and we don’t have local textiles. What are we taking to the table? A market for substandard foreign products. Already South Africa has dominated the grocery trade through its chain stores. Tuntemba owners brace for more hardships as you get displaced
Well thought comment
@KZ have you sobered from the Russian whisky
ayatollah is it you who leaked my personal video to the watchgalus? i do not get drunk. i am immune to alcohol.
KZ needs his tablets before functioning, that’s agony for someone like Kaizer with learning disability to stabilise his thinking pattern.
Laugh out loud. To trade in what and using wht infrastructure?
Muna you are right. I need my iPad tablet before I can function. We business men rely on tablets alot these days.
Rushing to ratify treaties that will confine us to making building blocks and pavers only and be a dumping ground of more serious countries.
We bless Africa the land the Lord God gave us, as we trade among ourselves and be more United to realize our potential which is God given to us.
This will only work to the advantage of Africa if most of but essential imports are banned from out side Africa.
Let the Chinese and Indians come and manufacture goods in Africa instead of importing them from outside Africa then re distribute within Africa.
Manufacture within Africa will provide massive employment for Africans.
But knowing how dull and corrupt these chaps in leadership are , the Chinese and Indians are already ready for that free pan African market with their exports…..
AN AFRICAN DREAM THA’S ALL
This is way to go. This is GREAT.
In fact this should have been done decades ago. Africa is the largest importer of anything starting from capital goods, human resources to a sewing needle from the western, eastern, Asian countries. Nigeria designs and makes vehicle (cars and buses, etc), South Africa’s Belles designs and manufacture capital goods such as construction, farming and mining machinery etc. It’s high time a deliberate and stringent policies are put in place to produce and buywhat can be produced in Africa first before looking outside of Africa. And let’s have a database systems populated with information of all that is produced in Africa and in which country or countries. And let’s have powerful African airlines (passenger and cargo) cris-crossing the African continet…
FROM 11. …And let’s have powerful African airlines (passenger and cargo) cris-crossing the African continet laden with cargo. Let us also have road, and water transport systems for moving all sorts of cargo to destination countries within Africa. A BIG CONGRATULATIONS AFRICAN LEADERS. NOW YOU ARE THINKING.
For those who just get excited by mere pronouncements, wht sort of import taxes does Zambia impose on new cars from South Africa? Will they come down on January 1, 2021? If Africa is one market, it shouldn’t matter where in Africa I choose to buy a car for use in my business. Will this be the case? If not, then the African Continental Free Trade Area is not worth the paper it is signed on.
Brand new car cost USD20,000 in SA Same car in Zambia it costs USD 50,000. I do not know whether this GRZ knows what it has signed.
While I am still at it, there’s also supposed to be a SADC free trade area. How has it fared or how is it faring? There’s even supposed to be free movement of people and capital in SADC. Botswana which hosts the SADC secretariat has just announced restrictions on who can invest in certain sectors of their economy. Which trade minister in SADC has flagged this? Give me a break. I hv been a student of African economies for close to 30 yrs.
Nemwine above me, sounds like the type of person satan has a beer with. Africa is God’s land hate all you have want. Inter Africa trade is the future.
Inter-African trade is the future indeed and the only key to unlock real economic growth on our continent. Too much talking has been done, 2021 and beyond, Africans should start acting. Next should be the creation of a strong African continental Army to stop the nonsense from Boko Haram, El Shabab and also keep imperialists at bay.
Sooo…. this means that buying a car from SA it would be duty free?
Trouble is most Africans think good government doesn’t matter for this thing to work. Wht has Ecowas done for the West African region? It creates well-paying jobs at headquarters for the lucky few and little else. These regional trading blocs should be the bits we’re supposed to join together to make one African market. They themselves don’t work but somehow we expect the ACFTA to work.