Kijaji urges action on AfCFTA protocols

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania wants countries that are currently in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to cooperate in completing key protocols and other important issues related to dispute resolution systems when doing business in Africa.

The call was made by the minister for Industry and Trade, Dr Ashatu Kijaji, on January 30 when opening chaired the two-day 13th meeting of AfCFTA Trade ministers held in Durban, South Africa, according to a press statement that was made available to The Citizen on January 31.

Dr Kijaji noted that the cooperation of state parties can significantly contribute to solving various challenges facing the continent, including road transport infrastructure, rail and air transport, security, a lack of sufficient energy, low production, and communication.

"We are meeting today to review and work on various important issues on which we have yet to reach a consensus, so as we start business fully on our beautiful continent of Africa. Other issues have resulted from the directives issued by our heads of state and governments that we complete all the remaining important issues to stimulate business within Africa and achieve the goal of the Africa we want in 2063,” she said.

The protocols in question include the investment protocol and the digital business protocol. AfCFTA member states also have to agree upon product origination criteria.

Dr Kijaji urged member states to make good use of the opportunities available to promote trade.

The 13th meeting of ministers was preceded by several meetings at the level of experts, including the 16th meeting of the Permanent Secretaries Committee and the 10th meeting of the Committee for the Resolution of Commercial Disputes, held from January 23 to 29, 2024.

“Our priority will be to protect the interests of the African continent. Tanzania alone cannot achieve the intended goal, but if we unite together, we will be able to achieve our goals,” she said.

According to her, the African continent is facing many commercial challenges. These challenges include both tariff and non-tariff trade barriers. Other challenges include road, rail, and air transport infrastructure challenges, security, a lack of sufficient energy, and limited production and communication.

She said it is imperative to use all the important opportunities available in the AfCFTA zone, starting with trade in goods, trade in services, investment, creative intellectual property rights, internet business, youth and women's business, and strong systems for resolving business disputes.

"We need to realise that, on our African continent, we have a big challenge of unemployment for our youth. Through the opening of business, we expect that investment and production within the African continent will increase, reducing the problem of unemployment and, if not eliminating, poverty,” she said.

The AfCFTA is one of the flagship projects of Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want. It is a high ambition trade agreement, with a comprehensive scope that includes critical areas of Africa’s economy, such as digital trade and investment protection, amongst other area.