The COMESA Secretariat has developed a draft COVID-19 Regional Food and Nutrition Security Response Plan to improve agricultural productivity, enhance access to competitive markets and trade in agri-food commodities in the region. Implementation of the Plan is expected to create synergies and complement existing initiatives in the region and the Member States, targeting specific commodities […]
The Tripartite Council of Ministers of three regional economic communities in the eastern and southern Africa have approved new harmonized trade and transport facilitation guidelines. The Tripartite Guidelines for the Movement of Persons, Goods and Services across the Tripartite Region During COVID-19 Pandemic, consolidates those developed earlier by COMESA, the East African Community and the […]
The Speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly Rt Hon Martin Ngoga has appealed to the East African Community to establish regional Commission responsible to coordinate Agriculture related issues among the Six member states. Ngoga urges that the establishment of the East African Food commission will foster food security in the region and also helps […]
The Eastern-Africa, Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean (EA-SA-IO) is developing a framework for regulatory oversight for the regional energy market to guide cross border power trading. The final report of the framework has now been presented to the COMESA Regional Association of Energy Regulators for Eastern and Southern Africa (RAERESA) by the Consultants contracted […]
As part of its mandate to strengthen the entrepreneurial fabric of the region, the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (TDB) SME Programme has signed an initial 4-year senior/ mezzanine debt facility of USD 1 million to be managed by Grassroots Business Fund (GBF), to finance agribusiness SMEs in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. […]
At least 82% of the reported Non-Tariff Barriers in the COMESA region are those imposed on imports and exports of goods and services and are largely operational by design. According to trade experts, these type of NTBs are easy to identify and monitor. Thus, from an analytical perspective, the relatively high rate of resolution of […]
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the region’s economic growth was projected at more than 5 percent, well above continent’s average of 3.3 percent and global average of 2.9 percent NAIROBI, Kenya, July 12, 2020/ — COVID-19 curbs East Africa’s growth, but still the strongest in the continent; Report calls for transition to higher value-added activities […]
The African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) recently held its virtual 52nd Plenary Session with the official opening and keynote by Betty C. Maina Kenya Cabinet Secretary – Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and Enterprise Development. Themed “Business Environment, Competitiveness and Economic Growth in Africa”, the plenary was held over two days with a special session titled: […]
In 2020, it was the only African country ranked in the top 10 of the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report. It ranked in the top four in the Report’s political empowerment category, in recognition of the high proportion of Rwandese women lawmakers and ministers. The country, therefore, seemed a natural fit for a […]
Boehringer Ingelheim, one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies has unveiled a global training and awareness programme on albinism in an effort to safeguard persons with albinism from discrimination and raise awareness in their environment. The programme will educate people with albinism, their families, friends and health care providers on the importance of protecting those […]
Up to US$256.54 million is available to the Government of Uganda to minimize the impact of COVID-19, improve access to basic services, create jobs and boost the economic self-reliance of refugees and the communities that host them. Out of this, $153.92 million is a grant. The financing is part of the recently-approved 19th replenishment of […]
Fifteen COMESA Member States are ready to start piloting the COMESA Electronic Certificate of Origin (eCO) System. The eCO is one of the latest tools developed under the COMESA Digital Free Trade Area (DFTA) initiative. Burundi, DR Congo, Egypt, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sudan, Tunisia, Zambia and Zimbabwe have indicated their […]
The COMESA regional economy is projected to grow at a paltry 0.6% this year down from 5.2% recorded in 2019 and 6.0% in 2018. The slight dip in 2019 was attributed to lower commodity prices while the expected slump in 2020 will result from the devastating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic suggesting a deeper economic […]