PAP recommendations on accelerating AfCFTA

BY TRINITY MAPENDERE

MIDRAND, SOUTH AFRICA-Recalling the African Union (AU)’s decision adopted in Mach 2018, in Kigali, Rwanda on the agreement establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the Pan African Parliament committee on Trade, Customs and Immigration Matters on Wednesday, 24 May 2023, sat to discuss the draft recommendations on “Accelerating the AfCFTA”: the role of the Pan-African Parliament.

Chaired by Honorable Senator John Bideri, the committee together with its members debated on the recommendations table before them by a special envoy led by Mr. Brian Mureverwi, who is the Senior Trade Advisor, AUC Department of Economic Development, Trade Industry and Mining and Mrs. Treasure Maphanga, who is the Director of African Electronic Trade Group. This comes after PAP president Hon. Chief Charumbira urged that Mr. Mureverwi and Mrs. Maphanga should come up with tangible recommendations that will be presented before the assembly for debate and discussions.

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)will be the largest free deal in the world and making it a dream come true requires a hands-on approach and PAP, as an organ of the African Union (AU) presents a perfect opportunity for its acceleration. By increasing intra-African trade, the continent would become less suspectable to global shocks, diversify its economy, enhance competitiveness of exports and generate job opportunities for the youth and women.

In their presentation of the draft recommendation before the committee chairperson, the special envoy came up with 16 well crafted recommendations that describes the role PAP will play in accelerating the much-anticipated AfCFTA trade deal. Part of the 16 draft recommendations to PAP includes developing a monitoring and evaluation with reporting mechanisms on the implementation of the agreement of the AfCFTA deal, the need for PAP to engage in robust advocacy in its member states, through the Speaker’s Forum, inter alia, to achieve full ratification, domestication and implementation of the AfCFTA.

“The president tasked us with a huge responsibility to come u[ with a draft of recommendations  that the Pan-African Parliament will adopt for the acceleration of the AfCFTA deal, it is our humble honor to see some of these recommendations being debated and discussed by the continent’s legislative body”, echoed Mr. Murevewi.

“The daft recommendations were received warmly with members of the committee on Trade, Customs and Immigration Matters, with its chairperson, Hon. Bideri applauding the work of the special envoy, “I would like to thank the envoy led by Mr. Mureverwi and Mrs. Maphanga for such a well detailed and thoughtful presentation on the draft recommendations for PAP to play its obligatory and mandatory role to oversee the acceleration of the AfCFTA deal”.

Hon. Bideri and all the attending members were in agreement with all the 16 table recommendations and vowed to present the matter with immediate effect before the PAP president.

Here are the 16 draft recommendations as proposed by the Trade, Customs and Immigration Committee to the Pan-African Parliament:

1. Develop a monitoring and evaluation mechanism on the implementation of the agreement establishing the AfCFTA.
2. Encourage the active participation of the AfCFTA Secretariat in the activities of the PAP Committee on Trade, Customs and Immigration matters, including the mid-term review of the agreement the AfCFTA and its protocols.
3. Engage in robust advocacy in Member states, through Speaker’s Forum, inter alia, to achieve full ratification, domestication and implementation of AfCFTA.
4. Advocate the universal application of the AfCFTA Operational Instruments; Pan-African Payments and Settlements Systems (PASS), AfCFTA Adjustment facility, African Trade Observatory (ATO), Online System of Monitoring and Evaluation, reporting and elimination of Non-Traffic Barriers (NTBs), AfCFTA Tariff handbook, and the AfCFTA rules of Origin Manual.
5. Encourage the use of the African Trade Observatory to enhance the efficacy of the trade market and information intelligence on the continent and ensure ownership by the African Union, as well as making it user-friendly.
6. Organize high-level sensitization events on the protocol on the free movement of people, right of residency and right of establishment in order to facilitate the full implementation of the AfCFTA.
7. Sensitize national and regional parliaments on the benefits of accelerating the implementation of AfCFTA, emphasize job creation and mobilization of investments.
8. Advocate for budgetary allocation of 5% of GDP for industrialization, in order to promote the Regional Value Chains (RVCs), including adoption of modern technology and R&D to boost competitiveness;
9. Advocaat for youth, women and people living with disabilities to access trade information services, affordable finance, ICT and quality infrastructure;
10. Regularly receive reports or updates from the AUDA-NEPAD, Regional Economic Communities and other partners on the development of trade-related infrastructure supporting the implementation of the AfCFTA. 
11. Advocate for at least 40% of public procurement for the African private sector to promote private sector development and the “Made in Africa” products and services;
12. Advocate for at least 30% of public procurement to be allocated to SMEs, women, youths and people living with disabilities for their inclusion in accelerating the implementation of the AfCFTA;
13. Regularly receive reports or updates on the activities of ECOSOCC and the African Business Council;
14. Advocate for sufficient budgetary allocation by member states and partners for the establishment of an integrated high-speed railway network spanning the entirety of the African continent, as espoused in Agenda 2063;
15. Promote peacebuilding initiatives within the continent of Africa under the AfCFTA through dialogue and meditation by establishing platforms for constructive agreement between member states, civil society organizations ad the general public.