Category: Latest News

Addressing Bottlenecks Affecting Simplified Trade Regime in the Great Lakes

Issues affecting the operations of the Simplified Trade Regime (STR) along the borderlands of DR Congo, Uganda and Rwanda formed the agenda of recent two-day tripartite meeting. The virtual meeting was organized by the COMESA Secretariat under the Great Lakes Trade Facilitation Project (GLTFP) to share experiences on the STR and other key issues impacting…
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50 Million African Women Speak Platform Unveiled in D R Congo

The 50 Million African Women Speak (50MAWSP) platform was on Thursday 22 October unveiled in the Democratic Republic of Congo with the country’s Deputy Prime Minister Her Excellency Elysee Munembwe urging women to use it to do business with the rest of Africa. The launch, which was the sixth in a COMESA Member State, was…
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Continental and Regional Trade Regimes Need Proper Management to Succeed

PRESS RELEASE Monday, October 19, 2020: There is need for proper management of the interface between the continental and the regional free trade regimes to generate a range of win-win outcomes for various stakeholders in Africa’s integration agenda. According to Dr. Stephen Karingi, the Director, Capacity Building Development at the United Nations Economic Commission for…
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COMESA Supports Zambia to Diversify Export of Gold and Gemstones

Lusaka, October 17, 2020: Zambia has launched its Export Diversification Strategy in Gold and Gemstone Mining. The strategy will guide the formalization of the sector and stop illegal trading of the commodities in the country. It was developed with support from the European Union through the COMESA Regional Integration Capacity Project (RICB) as well as…
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50 Million African Women Speak platform launched in Eswatini

Eswatini became the fifth COMESA Member State to launch the 50 Million African Women Speak (50MAWSP) platform on Thursday 15 October. The platform was unveiled in Mbabane, Eswatini at a colourful ceremony presided over by the Deputy Prime Minister Honourable Senator Themba Masuku. The national launch of the platform kept in tradition with previous launches…
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New Rwanda and British Ambassadors Accredited to COMESA

Lusaka, Thursday, October 15, 2020: Ambassador of Rwanda to Zambia Mr. Amandin Rugira and the British High Commissioner to Zambia Mr. Nicholas Woolley have been accredited to COMESA as Permanent Representative and Special Representative respectively. The two presented their letters of credence to COMESA Secretary General Chileshe Kapwepwe on Thursday 15 October 2020 at the…
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Include Post-Covid Recovery in Regional Work Programme – Heads of Customs

Heads of Customs from the COMESA region have  agreed on prioritizing Post -Covid-19 recovery in the 2021-2023 Customs and Trade Facilitation Work Programme. In a virtual meeting conducted last week, 14 October 2020, the officials said this will enable the identification and prioritization of activities that will enhance post COVID-19 recovery for Member States. According…
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Regional Research Forum to Unveil Interface Between Intra-COMESA Trade and the Continental FTA

The 7th COMESA Annual Research Forum will take place from 19 – 21 October 2020 and this year, the focus is how intra-COMESA Trade can be harnessed through interface with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA). The virtual event which is being funded by COMESA, the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS)…
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Madagascar Launches 50 Million African Women Speak Platform

The 50 Million African Women Speak (50MAWSP) platform was unveiled Friday 9 October in Antananarivo, Madagascar making the country the fourth COMESA Member State to launch the digital networking platform. The national launch of the platform was presided over by the Minister for Population, Social Protection and Advancement of Women, Hon. Michelle Bavy Angelica at…
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COVID 19 has Triggered Growth in Zambia’s Leather Industry

The negative socio-economic impact of COVID-19 has not spared the leather industry in Zambia as the industry is feeling the pinch of the pandemic due to massive disruptions in the way business is done. Several small and medium entrepreneurs in the sector have folded altogether, while some have joined forces to stay afloat. Industry players…
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