The selection: Friday, 28 August

Raising voices for women cross border traders in West Africa: report (WCBT)

The “Raising Voices for Women Cross Border Traders in West Africa Project” seeks to map women’s organisations in the ECOWAS sub-region and their potential to support the capacity building, advocacy and development of women cross border traders, through serving as platforms for the articulation of their challenges and aspirations. In general, the project aims to make concrete information available to all stakeholders, including the ECOWAS, National Governments and Development Partners, for planning of further interventions to support women cross border trade in West Africa. The women cross border traders of West Africa form a significant group of those involved in informal trade across the sub-region. Women cross border traders are not a homogenous group. [Download]

Economic empowerment of African women through equitable participation in agricultural value chains (AfDB)

The report highlights five major constraints that can limit women’s productivity and full inclusion into the agricultural economy: lack of access to assets, lack of access to financing, limited training, gender-neutral government policy, and time constraints due to heavy domestic responsibilities. The report highlighted three broad areas for action that could begin to address the specific constraints women face in each focus country: [Download]

Report calls for overhaul in mining laws to include women (UNECA)

A new report on Women in Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) in Africa has called for a policy overhaul in the mining sector for inclusive and active participation of women. The research project, a partnership between ECA and UN Women, aimed at contributing to the diversification of the mining sector in Africa to include women as a necessary for economic empowerment and social transformation. Preliminary findings of the report, which includes case studies from Zambia, Tanzania, DRC, Ghana and Guinea-Conakry found that the legal and policy framework in the mining and extractive industries made it difficult for active participation and inclusion of women in those sectors. Access to affordable capital financing was the single most constraint for women miners says the report. [Download]

Caucus of the African Governors of the World Bank, IMF: remarks by Thabo Mbeki (Thabo Mbeki Foundation)

We would therefore like to appeal that you yourselves should continue to demonstrate the political will to tackle the matter of the illicit outflows by helping to ensure that each of our countries does indeed adopt the required legislation and build and capacitate the necessary state institutions so that each of our countries has the ability to intervene in a sustained manner to curb and end the illicit outflows. As we visited various African countries in the course of preparing our Report, the matter of radically improving the capacity of our state institutions arose quite insistently. Our Report contains some suggestions in this regard. We believe that as Finance Ministers you have a particular responsibility in this regard.

As we prepared our Report we were also privileged to interact with the leadership of both the World Bank and the IMF at their respective headquarters in Washington D.C. We were very pleased with the keenness they showed to do everything necessary to help combat the illicit financial outflows. We humbly suggest that now that our Panel’s Report has now been issued and in the light of the supportive decisions of the Conference on Financing for Development, you should, as Governors of the World Bank and the IMF reengage these important institutions to influence them to attend to the issue of the illicit outflows in a systematic and sustained manner.

We have already drawn your attention to the important decisions on the matter of the illicit financial outflows which were taken at the Conference on Financing for Development. In this regard we believe that you should also establish a properly structured process to interact with the African representatives at the UN in New York, and also our other representatives at the EU in Brussels who would also have access to the European Parliament, as well as our representatives in Paris who can interact with the OECD.

African tax experts to meet in Cape Town (Cape Business News)

Academics, researchers, tax administrators, students, tax practitioners, consultants and decision-makers on fiscal and tax policy in Africa will gather in Cape Town from 2 to 4 September for the inaugural conference of the African Tax Research Network. The conference, with the theme “Contemporary Tax Challenges for African Countries”, will provide an opportunity for the delegates to discuss different aspects relating to national, regional and international tax matters. Academics and practitioners from around the world have been invited to submit papers which will be discussed at the conference. [ATRN www]

2015 AGOA Forum: selected updates

South Africa: Officials happy after AGOA meeting (IOL)

AGOA renewal raises African hopes of unhindered exports to US  (Apparel)

Kenya: Opportunities in the wake of Barack Obama visit (Daily Nation)

Kwame Owino: 'Expect changes to China's economic diplomacy with Africa' (Daily Nation)

For African nations that have recently thought of playing China against the West, it may be time to dust up and reconsider that policy. This is because even if the worst were to happen and a full-blown recession was to affect China’s economy, it would emerge from that in the medium term. What will change is China’s commitment to economic diplomacy with more keenness to make choices for its economic assistance among African countries.

UAE plans to build free trade zone in Uganda (Daily Monitor)

UAE Ambassador to Uganda Abdulla Mohammed Al Takkawi said if they got such land, more investors from the Emirates would set up shop in Uganda, adding that the National Bank of Abu Dhabi wants to invest in some projects here. “The one in charge of free trade zones in Dubai came here; he wants a place by the lake and a main road,” Mr Takkawi said yesterday while meeting Parliament Speaker Rebecca Kadaga. “Business people prefer it that way. When we get it, he will come here and bring business people with him.”

Trade-related updates from SA cabinet meeting: (GCIS)

Cabinet approved South Africa to join the Advisory Centre on World Trade Organisation Law in Geneva.

Ms Xolelwa Mlumbi-Peter appointed as Deputy DG, International Trade and Economic Development, Department of Trade and Industry.

Mr Tshediso John Matona appointed as Secretary for National Planning, Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation.

SA's Minister of Finance, Mr Nhlanhla Nene, assumes Presidency of the Council of Ministers of the Eastern and Southern Africa Anti-Money Laundering Group.

South Africa: DTI presentation on up-scaling private sector investment (AgBiz)

This past week the Director General of the Department of Trade and Industry, Mr Lionel October, presented to the Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry on investment trends. Investment trends are more than just a good indicator of future economic growth as business confidence and investment are fundamental to such all important growth.

Minister Davies conditionally approves ITAC recommendation for tariff increases of steel (dti)

South Africa: Intended Nationally Determined Contribution to COP21 (AgBiz)

The framework for South Africa's INDC is premised on South Africa's national position in the international climate negotiations, including the differentiated obligations of developed and developing countries, and a balanced consideration of development and climate imperatives. The INDC further reflects South Africa's expectations for the outcome of the Durban Platform negotiations being a legal agreement that balances adaptation, mitigation and means of implementation.

Rwanda: Officials await IGAD's El Nino predictions (New Times)

Apparently, not only Rwanda but other regional countries too are waiting for the IGAD Climate Prediction and Application Centre (ICPAC), a regional organisation dedicated to provide warning against climatic hazards and destructive weather to member countries, to shed light on the looming danger, if any.

The New Development Bank: identifying strategic and operational priorities (Observer Research Foundation)

To aggregate diverse and informed perspectives on both strategic and operational aspects of the bank's functioning, the Observer Research Foundation and the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP) organised an intra-BRICS Experts Workshop on 18-19 June 2015 in New Delhi. The workshop was convened as part of India's knowledge support to the Russian Presidency of BRICS. The following suggestions are based on the most relevant inputs shared during the workshop. Many of the suggestions are also potential areas for further research.

China’s economic slowdown: What it means for Africa (The News Hub)

Global slowdown opportunity for Kenya to put house in order (Business Daily)

Dangote to build Kenya cement plant in $1.48bn Africa deal (Business Daily)

A Chinese firm has signed a deal worth $1.487 billion with Nigeria-based cement giant Dangote Group to build cement plants in several African countries including Kenya.

Conversations on the Global Trade and Investment Architecture: E15 Initiative update

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This week in the news

Catch up on tralac’s daily news selections for the past week:

The selection: Thursday, 27 August 2015

The selection: Wednesday, 26 August 2015

The selection: Tuesday, 25 August 2015

The selection: Monday, 24 August 2015

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This post has been sourced on behalf of tralac and disseminated to enhance trade policy knowledge and debate. It is distributed to over 300 recipients across Africa and internationally, serving in the AU, RECS, national government trade departments and research and development agencies. Your feedback is most welcome. Any suggestions that our recipients might have of items for inclusion are most welcome. Richard Humphries (Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; Twitter: @richardhumphri1)