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tralac’s Daily News selection: 26 November 2015

News

tralac’s Daily News selection: 26 November 2015

tralac’s Daily News selection: 26 November 2015

The selection: Thursday, 26 November

The Pan African Investment Code: meeting to review draft study (AU)

The primary objective of the study is to create a conducive environment to attract greater flows of investments into Africa and facilitate intra-African cross-border investments which are critical to the success of economic integration in the continent. It takes cognizance of the critical role that investment plays to enable the attainment of high levels of economic growth, wealth creation, poverty alleviation as well as enhancing the integration agenda. The specific objective of the study is to elaborate a Pan-African Investment Code model based on international best practices in order to establish the appropriate business climate which would stimulate more investments at the national, regional and continental levels, and develop a roadmap and strategy on how AU MS can adopt this model to suit their respective local situations. The final version of the PAIC will be submitted to the Special Ministerial Technical Committee on Economy, Finance and Integration Matters in March 2016 for consideration and adoption before its submission to the AU Heads of State and Government for its final adoption and subsequent implementation

The expansion of regional supermarket chains: changing models of retailing and the implications for local supplier capabilities in SA, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe (UNU-WIDER)

Over the past two decades, southern African countries have experienced rapid growth in the number and spread of supermarkets. Several factors have been attributed to this growth, including increasing urbanization, increased per capita income, the rise of the middle class, economies of scale and scope, and transport economies. The format and location of supermarkets have also evolved over the years, moving away from serving the traditional high-end affluent consumers in urban areas to successfully penetrating new markets in low-income rural communities, including through more efficient procurement and distribution systems. This spread into rural areas and the rapid proliferation of supermarkets generally has given rise to some important consequences for competitive rivalry between grocery retail outlets, as well as for local suppliers who want to participate in supermarket value chains in the southern African region. [The authors: Reena das Nair, Shingie Chisoro]

Regional growth and integration in Southern Africa: Channing Arndt explains the UNU-WIDER project (video)

Nigerian import curbs hit SA groups (Business Day)

Sales at Mr Price’s Nigerian stores have slowed after the country’s central bank imposed foreign exchange restrictions to stem the flow of dollars out of the country, resulting in delays of merchandise being imported into the country. "Although these are expected to be temporary, the company’s interactions with regulators are focused on urgently re-enabling supply," Mr Price said last week, when it reported its first-half earnings. The group has four stores in Nigeria.

Buhari will decide on MTN's N1.04trn fine, says Minister (Vanguard)

Gavin Keeton: 'Lack of local competition undermines exports' (Business Day)

No more dollars for Angola (Business Report)

Bank of America, which provides most of the dollar notes dispensed by banks in Angola, is halting the supply of greenbacks to the African country, according to two people with knowledge of the matter. The move is already constraining supplies of dollars, used by residents of Africa’s second-largest oil producer for purchases of cars and other imported goods. Banks are limiting the amount of dollars customers can withdraw and encouraging them to use euros and South African or Chinese currency instead. Moneychangers on the streets of the capital, Luanda, say dollars are scarce and are asking almost 20% more in exchange for kwanzas than two months ago, when they have any to sell.

Africa Visa Openness Index: update, intimation of findings (AfDB)

The African Development Bank has moved ahead on finalizing the first Africa Visa Openness Index. The Index ranks African countries on the level of openness/restrictiveness of their visa regimes. Its aim is to drive visa policy reforms across Africa, simplify visa application procedures and encourage positive reciprocity. Facilitating the freer movement of people is anchored in the African Union’s Agenda 2063. The AU’s vision is matched by a call to action to introduce an African Passport and abolish visa requirements for all African citizens in all African countries by 2018. Now, the recent Valletta Summit of the European Union and a call from African leaders has renewed momentum to support migration initiatives across the continent. The Africa Visa Openness Index and documentary will be launched at the African Union Summit in January 2016.

AU, RECs discuss border management (COMESA)

Representatives from Regional Economic Communities and the African Union Border Programme met in Zambia to discuss Border Management in Africa. This was the second meeting of the group and was hosted at the COMESA Secretariat and supported by the German Technical Cooperation Agency (GIZ). The overall objective of the meeting was for the RECs and AUC to coordinate, develop and advance their policies, initiatives and road-maps on border management and cross-border cooperation according the principles of subsidiarity, complementarity and comparative advantage. “COMESA has taken the lead in developing a number of policies to enhance cross border cooperation and border management,” Assistant Secretary General in charge of programmes Dr Kipyego Cheluget said during the official opening of the meeting. These include protocols on free movement and coherent legal migration policy in the COMESA region including the protocol on the gradual relaxation of Visas. So far three countries namely Mauritius, Rwanda and Seychelles have issued circulars relinquishing visa and visa fees for all COMESA nationals on official business.

Selected AUBP resources: African Union Border Programme, GIZ support to the African Union Border Programme, From borders to bridges: IPSS colloquium on African borders  

South Africa: implementation of cabinet concessions on immigration regulations (GCIS)

African Population Conference: 'Demographic dividends in Africa - prospects, opportunities and challenges' (GCIS)

MPs endorse Rwanda's re-admission to ECCAS (New Times)

The Chamber of Deputies has passed a draft law that allows the government to ratify an agreement that re-admits the country to the Economic Community of Central African States. The law allowing the government to ratify the agreement that re-admits Rwanda to ECCAS now awaits Senate’s approval before it can be forwarded to the President for assent and subsequent ratification.

Least Developed Countries Report 2015 (UNCTAD)

The headline of the newly adopted 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Sustainable Development Goalsis a global commitment to eradicate poverty by 2030. Nearly half the population of the 48 least developed countries (LDCs) – some 400 million people – remain in extreme poverty, compared with less than a quarter in any other developing country. The LDCs are thus the battleground on which the 2030 Agenda will be won or lost. This is where shortfalls from the SDG targets are greatest, where improvement has been slowest, and where the barriers to further progress are highest. UNCTAD’s Least Developed Countries Report 2015 therefore focuses on the transformation of rural economies.

Table of contents: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the rural development imperative, Agricultural productivity: developments, determinants and impacts, Economic diversification, non-farm activities and rural transformation, Gender-based patterns and constraints in rural development, Transforming rural economies in the post-2015 era: a policy agenda

African poultry wrap: region a lucrative destination for exports (The Poultry Site)

African countries are increasingly becoming a lucrative destination for American and European poultry exports with top five producer Spain raising its exports to South Africa by a massive 1064%, as well as registering significant increases for other regional countries such as Benin, Togo and Gabon.

Mozambique: diversifying fish exports (UNCTAD)

The training and capacity building workshop (26-30 Nov) is part of UNCTAD's Project - Building the capacities of LDCs to upgrade and diversify their fish exports - which aims to upgrade the technical knowledge and expertise in beneficiary countries to overcome challenges posed by weak supply capacities and complex international food safety and quality standards on fish exports. Mozambique possesses vast fishery resources and a fisheries sector with a great potential to expand in both domestic and foreign markets. However, a broad range of demand and supply side constraints act as hindrance to the further development of the sector. The main demand side constrains include compliance to increasingly challenging and complex international standards of major fish importing economies.

Talks to restructure $850m 'tuna' bond rattle Mozambique (Bloomberg)

Egypt 'alarmed' at progress of Ethiopia's Renaissance dam construction (Ahram)

Egypt renewed its strong commitment to completing technical studies of the dam in a timely manner 'before it is too late,' Egyptian Spokesperson for the Renaissance Dam and advisor to the Minister of Water Resources Alaa Yassin said on Tuesday. Egypt highlighted the importance of the overdue technical studies and their political significance amid the "alarming" speed of construction.

Tenth round of tripartite talks on Ethiopian dam expected in end of November (Ahram)

China to offer zero-tariff treatment to seven African countries (China Daily)

China is to offer zero-tariff treatment to 97% of commodities from seven listed African countries and Nepal, starting from December 10, 2015, Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council announced recently. The African countries are: The Comoros; the Islamic Republic of Mauritania; Togo; Liberia; Rwanda; Angola, and Zambia.

Lina Benabdallah: 'Is one continent, one country a viable strategy for Africa-China relations?' (Africa is a Country)

Emerging Powers: FOCAC preview

Zambia: Chinese envoy hopes for stable kwacha (The Post)

Africa’s climate opportunity: adapting and thriving (AfDB)

Climate change poses a severe threat to Africa, but it also offers a huge opportunity, according to a new paper from the African Development Bank. The paper, Africa’s Climate Opportunity: Adapting and Thriving, explains how the COP21 climate talks in Paris in December can help Africa deal with the threat and seize the opportunity.

The unequal benefits of fuel subsidies revisited: evidence for developing countries (IMF)

Understanding who benefits from fuel price subsidies and the welfare impact of increasing fuel prices is key to designing, and gaining public support for, subsidy reform. This paper updates evidence for developing countries on the magnitude of the welfare impact of subsidy reform and its distribution across income groups, incorporating more recent studies and expanding the number of countries.

Zimbabwe: Chinamasa presents 2016 budget today (NewsDay)

Tanzania: Pressure mounting on JPM to form maritime ministry (IPPmedia)

Kenya: Quick construction of the SGR pushes up Budget deficit (Business Daily)

SADC, east Africa fight illegal timber trade (Southern Times)

Uganda: Maize grain standards worry farmers (The Observer)

Angola envisages relaunch of coffee production (AngolaPress)

Department for International Development’s settlement at the Spending Review 2015

Services in global value chains: manufacturing-related services (APEC)

India will be among top-100 in World Bank’s ease of doing business next year: Jaynat Sinha (Financial Express)


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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)

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