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tralac’s Daily News selection: 26 October 2015
The selection: Monday, 26 October
Starting today, in Cape Town: Current and future challenges for the multilateral trading system - perspectives from Southern Africa
The event, 26-28 October, is aimed at journalists and civil society representatives from the following southern African countries: Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
AU Informal Trade Ministerial Meeting: statement by Ambassador Amina Mohammed (WTO)
I believe that we must seize the opportunity that Nairobi offers to deliver a positive outcome for the Organization, and for the future of multilateral trade relations. A “no result” scenario is not a viable option. A successful conference would be the springboard for further progress in the WTO and would pave the way for future discussions at the multilateral level. If we are not successful this December, we cannot hope to restore credibility to the negotiating arm of the WTO – not now, nor in the future. Nairobi cannot be allowed to fail. [After being blamed of blocking deal, India to adopt a balanced approach at WTO meet (Economic Times)]
Featured infographic, @calestous: How Africans restrict their own travel through visa practices [Response by @DlaminiZuma: .@calestous That map would be shared with AU Heads of State & Govt as we press on we our integration Agenda]
With aid package, India hopes to regain lost ground in Africa (Mint)
India is set to announce a substantial aid package for Africa this week as it looks to deepen linkages with the resource-rich continent, where it once wielded considerable influence but has, in recent decades, found itself jostling for prominence with China. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the host of the third India-Africa Forum Summit in New Delhi, will be making the announcement on the aid package - estimated at between $7bn and $15bn - on Thursday, when he sits down with the leaders of some 40 African countries and representatives of 14 others in a bid to re-script ties between Asia’s third largest economy and the world’s new growth pole.
A selection of IAFS links: Sanusha Naidu: 'Articulating the African voice' (Gateway House), India must resist US pressure on generic drugs, African leaders to tell Modi (The Wire), India to align itself with Africa's Agenda 2063 (Business Standard), Beyond oil: India needs to reimagine its ties with Nigeria (Scroll.in), India sees Africa as natural partner – Ms Nirmala Sitharaman (Press Information Bureau)
Free entry visas for Mozambicans into SA extended to 90 days as from 2016 (Club of Mozambique)
President Filipe Nyusi of Mozambique and his South African counterpart Jacob Zuma have agreed to extend free Visas between the two countries to 90 days from the initial one month as of January next year, APA has learned here on Saturday. The two leaders also agreed to ensure that the border post of Ressano Garcia linking the two countries would operate 24 hours a day, from next year.
SA amends its visa regime - a selection of links: Delight at easing of SA’s visa rules (Business Day), Inter-ministerial committee on immigration regulations: cabinet statement (GCIS), Department of Home Affairs on immigration amendment acts and regulations (GCIS), Western Cape response to visa law changes (GCIS), SA revises visa regulations; no more hassles at the border (Swazi Observer), East3Route wants to improve immigration regulations (Swazi Observer)
Feeding Africa conference adopts plan for agricultural transformation (AfDB)
The adoption of an action plan and wide-ranging partnerships to transform African agriculture into viable agri-business were the main outcomes of the three-day high-level conference on Africa’s agricultural transformation, which ended in Dakar, Senegal, on Friday. The conference also approved a list of organisations to lead initiatives aimed at raising agricultural productivity across the continent, in close partnership with the African Development Bank, the World Bank and development partners. Also [various agencies] will work closely with other development partners in the development of agro-allied industrial zones and agricultural corridors. The goal is to accelerate investments in integrated infrastructure to improve the competitiveness of Africa in processing and value addition to agricultural products. [Closing remarks by Akinwumi Adesina, Profiled conference background paper: Regional and international trade, Access the complete set of background papers]
ECCAS: corridor transport update (AfDB)
The Board of Directors of the AfDB met in its ordinary session on 21 October 2015, and approved the Ketta-Djoum road development and Yaoundé-Brazzaville corridor transport facilitation project-Phase 2, with a view to boosting economic and social development and regional integration in the Economic Community for Central African States area. The estimated total project cost is UA 302.190 million (approximately US $424 million) and comprises road works, ancillary infrastructure, transport facilitation, transport sector studies and institutional support, biodiversity support, and project management. This road project is an important segment of the highway linking the capitals of Congo (Brazzaville) and Cameroon (Yaoundé) that will directly benefit road users and communities within the project area. Apart from developing trade between the two countries, the project will additionally contribute to the consolidation of regional integration in Central Africa by facilitating highway interconnections linking Cameroon, Congo, the DRC, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and the Central African Republic.
WAEMU countries face a well-known dilemma between the need to provide shock-smoothing mechanisms and the lack of adequate mechanisms to do so. WAEMU countries are subject to frequent and, to a large extent, asymmetric shocks. They have remained poorly diversified and vulnerable to external shocks, such as changing weather conditions. In addition to limited shock-smoothing mechanisms at the regional level, WAEMU members’ ability to respond to shocks through national policies is also constrained by limited fiscal space and the need to preserve external stability—not only at the national level but also at the union level.
Kenya: Improving the competitiveness of Kenya's manufacturing sector (World Bank)
Analysis shows that the performance of the timber-furniture, textile-apparel, and leather and leather products value chains in Kenya are important for employment and growth in the country. The reports provide an updated and comprehensive analysis of competitiveness for these manufacturing sectors in Kenya. They also suggest ways to accelerate growth, productivity, and innovation of Kenyan firms in these sectors. While Kenya has made some headway in the global apparel market, there is an opportunity to grow faster by addressing bottlenecks to competitiveness, says the Apparel and Textile Industry report. The Furniture Industry report finds that Kenya is the largest market for furniture and also the largest producer of furniture in East Africa. Its market is expected to grow at an 8% Compound Annual Growth Rate between 2013 and 2018, driven by the growing population, urbanization, and increasing purchasing power. According to the Kenya Leather Industry report, Kenya is the third largest livestock holder in Africa, but a number of factors hinder the growth of its leather industry. [Downloads available]
Can India make it without manufacturing? (East Asia Forum)
Why investing in women’s ability to trade makes sense (The East African)
Despite this, East Africa’s trade potential is undermined by constraints that women face, including various specific non-tariff barriers that impinge particularly heavily on the trade activities of women and women-owned enterprises, and often push women traders and producers into the informal economy where lack of access to finance, information, and networks jeopardise their capacity to grow and develop their business. Gender inequality in access to and control of a wide range of assets and resources remains pervasive: Women farmers tend to produce 20 to 30 per cent less than their male counterparts because they have less access to vital inputs such as seeds, fertilisers and tools. Responsive trade policies are needed to provide a level playing field for the effective participation of women in domestic and international trade. [The author, Lisa Karanja, is senior director, business competitiveness at TradeMark East Africa]
UN committee debate on preventing illicit financial flows in Africa (UN News Centre)
Capturing illicit financial flows could provide a “hidden resource” for funding development, delegates heard at a joint meeting of the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) and the Economic and Social Council. Calling for a “development lens” to address illicit financial flows, Amb Nour, Representative of the Economic Commission for Africa, said that such flows in some African countries had reached up to 16% of GDP. That was the case even as the number of those living on less than $1.25 a day had increased from 290 million in 1990 to 414 million in 2010. Recalling the experience of Bolivia, he added that by renegotiating its contracts, the country had boosted its revenues from the hydrocarbon industry from $287bn in 2004 to $1.6bn in 2008. In the ensuing discussion, the representative of Liberia said that destination countries were also responsible for repatriating the funds that flowed out of Africa illicitly. Lesotho’s delegate underscored that the entire responsibility was not just on the “victim” but also on the countries where the criminal activities had originated.
Health vulnerabilities of mobile and migrant populations in and around the Port of Durban (IOM)
This study was carried out with the support of International Organisation for Migration Southern Africa Regional Office and IOM Mozambique Office as part of a SADC funded initiative to identify HIV risk profiles for four Southern African ports using the concept of ‘Spaces of Vulnerability’ where the interaction of all groups in the space are discussed and key programming issues identified to reduce vulnerability to HIV transmission.
Developing a 'port performance scorecard' (UNCTAD)
At the end of September 2015, 42 port operators from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean gathered for a week in Indonesia to jointly defined scorecard of indicators to help ports achieve greater competitiveness. Based on a bottom-up approach, the strategy is to develop metrics that are available easily and useful to port managers. Many other performance indicators used by port managers are difficult to use when comparing between ports, while economic metrics employed in studies can be expensive to compile and are generally not used by managers on a regular basis. Using the "port performance scorecard" method however, allows managers to collect data based on available, timely, useful, and comparable information.
New ILO regional chief to push for voice of SADC private sector (Southern Times)
The newly appointed Bureau of Employers’ Activities (ACT/EMP) regional representative Maria Machailo-Ellis said the SADC private sector should participate meaningfully both at member state and regional levels to ensure the needs and interests of business are an integral part of the integration strategy by SADC. Machailo-Ellis who is currently the Chief Executive of Business Botswana will take up her position effective January 2016. Machailo-Ellis will be in charge of the Employers Activities in 10 countries in Southern Africa and other regions among them Botswana, South Africa and Rwanda and she will be based in South Africa.
Background note: Employment and new technologies - opportunities for Africa’s youth (prepared for ILO's 13th African Regional Meeting)
Uchumi Supermarkets restructuring wreaks havoc on East Africa (The East African)
Swaziland: Financial inclusion increased to 73% (Swazi Observer)
SA-Mozambique: joint communiqué (GCIS)
South Africa: Local firms look to grow beyond Africa (Business Day)
Botswana: Unfair laws distort competition - Kaira (Mmegi)
Zimbabwe: Winning bids for dualisation out soon (The Herald)
Zimbabwe: Government to meet investors, policy makers (NewsDay)
Egypt's parliamentary elections credible, COMESA team
World’s MPs commit to action on digital freedom and fairer migration (IPU)
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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)
