A regional seminar dedicated to strengthening the capacities of the National Implementation Committees of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) opened Tuesday in Yaoundé, Cameroon, reported Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV), a public media outlet.
Organized from August 4 to 7 by the Sub-Regional Office for Central Africa of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the meeting brings together officials responsible for implementing the AfCFTA in the countries of the sub-region.
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According to Jean-Luc Mastaki Namegabe, director of the Sub-Regional Office for Central Africa of the ECA, the seminar aims to strengthen the capacities of national committees in several areas, including digital trade, non-tariff barriers, value chain development, financing, and inclusion.
According to the organizers, discussions also focus on improving institutional coordination, reducing trade obstacles, and supporting the private sector to promote intra-African trade and strengthen the competitiveness of the sub-region’s economies.
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Effective since 2021, the AfCFTA brings together African countries that have joined the agreement and is one of the continent’s main economic integration initiatives. According to the ECA, it covers a market of more than 1.4 billion consumers representing a combined gross domestic product of about 3.4 trillion dollars. Despite this potential, intra-regional trade in Central Africa remains below 3% of the sub-region’s total trade.
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