Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila has called on all member states of the African Union (AU) to honor their assessed contributions on time and in full in accordance with the approved scale of assessment.

Speaking in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia at the 29th African Union recently, Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said members states should continue to ensure that the AU has adequate financial resources to pave way for successful and effective implementation of Agenda 2063, including the Continental Flagship Projects.

“With regard to the 0.2 percent levy on eligible imports, while supporting principle of self-financing of the union, it has become evident that the levy cannot be implemented until the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) is fully established in order to comply with the rules of the World Trade Organisation,” she said.

The Prime Minister said bearing in mind CFTYA negotiations are still ongoing, she is of the opinion that the July 2016 decision to implement the 0.2 percent levy by January 2017 should be deferred until domestic laws are amended and all the necessary structures at regional and continental levels are in place.

Kuugongelwa-Amadhila called for the speedy conclusion of the CFTA negotiations. She also commended Rwandan President Paul Kagame for his “tireless efforts in leading the institutional reform process towards improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the African Union.”

“It is important that we streamline the work of our organisation to avoid wastage of resources and the duplication of efforts,” she said, adding that there is a need to review the existing structures by aligning them to the core mandate and functions of the organisation.

Kuugongelwa-Amadhila says while acknowledging that the purpose of the institutional reform process is to ensure the smooth functioning of the union, the reforms should not have unintended consequences of weakening the existing legal structures that govern the union.

The Prime Minister believes that carrying out the reforms, the due processes of the organs of the AU should be followed, as provided for in the Constitutive Act and the Rules of Procedure of the Union.

In this regard, she said the Executive Council’s role should be further strengthened.

She said Namibia support the call to hold one summit per year, and for the Bureau of the Union to focus on implementing assembly decisions in coordination with regional economic communities.