Mozambican Prime Minister Carlos Agostinho do Rosario has refused to sign on behalf of his country the agreement setting up a tripartite free trade area (FTA) involving African three economic blocs, saying the government still needed to check the impact which the agreement could have on the economy.

The Tripartite FTA involving the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Common Market of Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the East African Community (EAC), was launched in Egypt on Wednesday.

Some heads of state representing the 26 member countries of the three regional blocs, held in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh have signed up to the initiative.

“There are questions that have to be studied and about the origin of imported products, and their selection, about which areas should be liberalized, and where liberalization could be gradual. This entire exercise has to be done in such a way that the growth of our industry is not damaged by membership of the TFTA,” said Do Rosario who represented President Filipe Nyusi at the summit.

“Mozambique has a Five-Year Government Programme, which concerns the creation of better living standards for Mozambicans, and this means creating more jobs, more income, and getting industry to work, so it is important to check whether or not the agreement benefits Mozambique’s exports to the entire region, and whether imports under the agreement will not create difficulties for the rebirth of national industry”, the Prime Minister added.

However, Mozambique did sign the Sharm El Sheikh Declaration which directs the signatories “to finalise outstanding issues on the COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Free Trade Area Agreement”.

Rosario said that, by signing the declaration, Mozambique was expressing a determination to sign the free trade agreement as soon as conditions were ripe.

“We think that every effort must be made, but all of us together can make a difference in promoting trade in the tripartite region,” he said.

The Tripartite FTA will cover a total population of 632 million, which is 57 percent of the entire population of the continent, with a gross domestic product of about U$1.3 trillion.