The selection: Thursday, 21 May

Transformative regionalism, trade and the challenge of poverty reduction in Africa (UNCTAD)

The paper identifies the key elements of Transformative Regionalism, examines the extent to which the current approach to integration adopted by African regional economic communities (RECs) are consistent with transformative regionalism, and also highlights other critical elements of a credible policy package to promote regional integration in Africa. These include enhancing implementation of existing programmes and action plans, refocusing the role of the RECs on the goal of economic integration, doing away with false dichotomies that often cloud the debate on development in Africa, and recognising as well as exploiting the vital role of industrial policy and consumer behaviour in promoting regional integration. [The author: Patrick N. Osakwe]

Jonathan slams ECOWAS leaders over AfDB presidency (Daily Trust) 

President Goodluck Jonathan has condemned the ECOWAS leaders’ disregard for an earlier resolution that the sub-region adopt a single candidate for the Presidency of the African Development Bank.  “At our last session in Abuja, it was resolved, after due deliberations, that ECOWAS should adopt a single candidate for the post of President of the African Development Bank. Today, we’ve no less than four candidates from our sub-region alone vying for the post as against four candidates representing the other four regions of the continent. Our experience with the Economic Partnership Agreement, with the European Union is yet another example."

ECOWAS @40: Kadre Desire Ouedraogo interviewed (Leadership)

ECOWAS calls on developed countries to consider debt cancellation for three Ebola affected West African countries(Ghana Broadcasting Corporation)

Rob Davies: Budget vote address delivered to the National Council of Provinsce (the dti)

The TFTA launch signifies the conclusion of negotiations on the legal instrument and will be followed by a process to finalise negotiations on tariffs and Rules of Origin, the key elements of a functional free trade area. This is an important milestone in the implementation of the development integration agenda in Africa aimed at promoting market integration, based on industrial and infrastructure development. The TFTA launch will be followed by the launch of the negotiations for a Continental Free Trade Area at the AU Summit here in SA. The CFTA once established will be a market of over 1 billion people and a GDP of US $2 trillion. The African market is crucial for South Africa’s industrialisation and job creation efforts as one of the key destinations for our value-added exports.

Africa will also host the 10th WTO Ministerial Conference on 15-18 December in Kenya. There are many challenges that will confront us and all developing countries in ensuring that the outcome of the MC10 underscores the centrality of development as provided for in the Doha Development mandate, supports the industrial objectives of Africa and includes meaningful disciplines on subsidies in agriculture, particularly those that disadvantage farmers in developing countries.

South Africa-India Joint Ministerial Commission: communiqué (DIRCO)

Both sides agreed on the need to expedite the consultations and hold the 6th round of negotiations on India-SACU PTA at the earliest possible opportunity.  Both sides agreed to co-operate in their respective regional bodies including SACU, Southern African Development Cooperation (SADC), and SAARC, in accordance with the relevant rules and practices of the concerned regional bodies.

Both sides undertook to provide preferential policies and measures, equitable legal environment, and pragmatic and efficient government services for investors from the other side, to invest and do business in their respective countries.

Modernizing Development: report of President Obama’s Global Development Council (USAID)

This second report of the Global Development Council is designed to follow-up on the recommendations spelled out in our first report issued in April 2014. It proposes a number of concrete, actionable measures – some new and some refined – to make U.S. development efforts more catalytic and innovative with a view to U.S leadership galvanizing even more the creativity, resources and partnership of developing countries, civil society, the private sector and key multilateral institutions.

Witney Schneidman, Andrew Westbury: 'AGOA moves forward - reviewing last week’s reauthorization in the US Senate' (Brookings)

As this bill moves closer toward becoming a reality, it is important to review the specific changes that the Senate’s version of AGOA reauthorization entails for African beneficiaries and their counterpart in the U.S. Here, we briefly evaluate the key revisions of the program, broadly classified as the “good” and the “to be determined.” Importantly, opportunities still exist to modify AGOA reauthorization, and several amendments could strengthen the bill.

AGOA: Building trade capacity of smallholder women farmers (Bread for the World)

Female farmers often have fewer options in their livelihoods, including access to markets. The Senate version of AGOA includes a bipartisan amendment that will strengthen the trade capacity of smallholder women farmers. This language was introduced by U.S. Sens. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), leading members of the Senate Agriculture Committee. “Through this language, AGOA will have a direct impact on Africa’s women farmers, as well as improving overall food security,” Mitchell said.

Bring back AGOA, Minister begs US (Swazi Observer)

Following the registration of federations in the country, Minister of Labour and Social Security Winnie Magagula has called for the United States of America to review the country’s AGOA status.  Magagula said now that government had met another important benchmark and committed to meeting all of them, they were expecting that the US would review the status. This is especially because this registration was exactly in line with the benchmarks and ILO requirements,” she said.

South Africa: ‘Forced localisation’ of security companies could lead to Agoa suspension  

Namibia's trade deficit grows (New Era)

Namibia Statistics Agency yesterday announced that a trade deficit of N$26.2bn was recorded last year compared to N$17.2bn in 2013. “This widening of the trade deficit was reflected in a 23.2 percent increase in the import bill to N$90.6 billion from N$73.5 billion the previous year. On the other hand, total exports increased only moderately to N$64.4 billion from N$56.3 billion when compared to a year earlier.”  In terms of economic blocks, Namibia’s imports were mainly from SACU (N$53.8bn), the European Union (N$8.6bn), BRIC (N$5.4bn) and non-SACU-SADC (N$3.5bn). In terms of exports, Namibia exported goods worth (N$19.4bn) to SACU, (N$8.6bn) to non-SACU-SADC, (N$7.9bn) to the EU, (N$7.8bn) to EFTA, (N$3.6bn) to COMESA and (N$2.5bn) the BRIC. [2014 Annual Trade Statistics Bulletin]

Robert Mugabe slams ‘giant’ SA – again (City Press)

Zimbabwe’s president Robert Mugabe has again complained that South Africa acts like a giant in the region, and does not tolerate competition from businesses outside its borders. “Right now some of us are complaining about the bigness of South Africa, a giant establishing itself,” he told journalists in Gaborone, Botswana, following a “familiarisation visit” to the Southern African Development Community headquarters.  Mugabe said this issue was discussed at last month’s SADC meeting on its trade protocol in Harare. “That is what we discussed at the meeting, that if we are trying to establish our industries, they are blocked.”

Nyusi wants an understanding with Tanzania over the Rovuma basin (Club of Mozambique)

It is estimated that Tanzania has discovered more than 45 billion cubic meters of natural gas in the Rovuma basin. Simultaneously, in the same basin but the Mozambican side, natural gas reserves amount to more than 100 trillion cubic meters.  Lake Niassa, that has been disputed between Tanzania and Malawi, is also suspected to hold hydrocarbons and is also shared by a third country: Mozambique.

SADC judges look at fighting cybercrime (New Era)

Judges from nine SADC countries yesterday began a workshop in Windhoek aimed at devising effective strategies to curb the growing threats of cybercrime.  The Southern African Regional Cyber Investigation and Electronic Evidence Workshop is the brainchild of the United States of America Embassy in Namibia. The workshop is supported by the USA’s Department of Justice through its Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.

Millions misused in Congo fiber optic line construction: report (Reuters)

Millions of dollars were misused in the first phase of a project to build a national fiber optic network in Democratic Republic of Congo, a parliamentary mission has found. Aimed at reducing communication costs in the infrastructure-poor country, construction of a national "backbone" by Congo's state-owned telecommunications company (SCPT) and China International Telecommunication Construction Corporation (CITCC) began in 2012. It was financed in part by China's Exim Bank. The backbone links Congo to the West Africa Cable System (WACS), a submarine cable system in the Atlantic Ocean.

Spar close to signing deal in Zambia (Business Day)

"We’re trying to do a deal in Zambia with local Spar partners in the next few months and then we’re also in discussions in Ghana and Kenya as well … we would like to do something in Africa, it’s just not that easy though," Mr O'Connor said. The Spar brand has been present in Zambia since late 2003. The wholly Zambian owned and managed company operates about 17 stores across the country through corporate and franchised outlets.

SA's growing Africa trade could buffer lesser Chinese demand (News24)

South Africa’s growing trade links with sub-Saharan Africa, where investment has begun to diversify towards manufacturing, services and infrastructure, should continue to provide expanded export markets, though there may be negative effects from reduced Chinese demand, according to international credit insurance group Coface.

Kikwete tells off critics over controversial laws (The Citizen)

President Jakaya Kikwete declared yesterday that he would not be cowed by donor countries that are threatening to cut aid funding to his government over controversial Bills he recently signed into law. The President said the government was ready for budget cuts should donors peg aid to the newly-enacted laws designed to clamp down on cybercrime and streamline publication of official statistics. “There are people who have been saying that if we don’t amend the two laws they may withhold their aid,” the Head of State said at the official opening of a major conference on Open Government Partnership (OGP). “But we will know what to do because our government needs to be respected sometimes.” [OGP Africa Regional Meeting]

Assessing Nigeria’s chances at passing EITI validation (Leadership)

But the recommendations of the audit reports are given little or no attention by the National Assembly and relevant government agencies even as the remedial issues are far from being implemented. It is in this regard that some experts opine that the validation exercise which is to be conducted by independent international experts to be appointed by the global EITI based in Oslo, Norway, may be a bit difficult for Nigeria to pass.

How the Special Economic Zones can help spur Kenya’s growth (Business Daily)

Delay in signing pacts affects Uganda-Turkish trade (New Vision)

Moody's supports Africa's maturing multilateral development bank sector (CPI Financial) 

African tax administrators meet in Zimbabwe (ZNBC)

‘Declining oil price forces SA's SacOil out of Nigeria’ (Leadership) 

China says rare earths export quota scrapped after WTO ruling (Economic Times)

Agricultural trade and development: a value chain perspective (WTO)

UN financing for development negotiators review revised outcome draft (BioRes)

BRICS bank complements global financial mechanism (Xinhua)

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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)