Category: Latest News

COMESA Committee of Elders Meet to Review the Impact of COVID-19

COMESA will continue using eminent personalities from the region in addressing conflicts and entrenching good governance. Speaking when she addressed members of the COMESA Committee of Elders, Secretary General Chileshe Kapwepwe said the economic potential in the region can only be harnessed in an environment of peace and stability, hence the important role of the…
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Madagascar Records 26% Drop in Imports

Madagascar recorded a 26% drop in imports in April compared to March 2020, according to a snapshot survey undertaken by the Statistics Unit at the Secretariat. The survey indicated that four key border posts, Antanimena, Tamatave-Pétrole, Ivato-Aéroport, Mamory-Aéroport recorded declines of 35%, 59%, 36% and 80% respectively.  Tamatave-Port was the only one to record a…
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Stringent COVID-19 Response Measures Paying-off

With the onset of COVID-19 in the region, countries in the region responded in three ways: those that put in place restrictive measures to prevent and contain the spread of COVID-19, those that adopted moderate restrictions, and those that opted to assess the situation first before taking response decisions. Countries that enforced strict measures from…
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Measures in Member States in Response to COVID-19

  Measures in COMESA MS in Response to Covid -19 Vol 11

15 Member States Ready to Pilot the COMESA Electronic Certificate of Origin

Fifteen COMESA Member States are ready to  start piloting the COMESA Electronic Certificate of Origin (eCO) System. The eCO is one of the latest tools developed under the COMESA Digital Free Trade Area (DFTA) initiative. Burundi, DR Congo, Egypt, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sudan, Tunisia, Zambia and Zimbabwe have indicated their…
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COVID-19: Numbers Rise, as Region Ramps-up Testing

Over the last seven days, the number of COVID-19 cases in the region have experienced a surge as countries conduct mass testing. The number of recoveries are also expected to increase, based on the observation by experts, that 80% of COVID-19 infected people exhibit mild symptoms which are easy to manage. Read more COVID-19 in…
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Quest for Extension of Project to Support Small-Scale Cross Border Trade in the Great Lakes

COMESA has engaged with the World Bank to extend the duration of the implementation period of the Great Lakes Trade Facilitation Project (GLTFP) by one year. The no-cost extension is expected to make up for lost  implementation time during the Covid-19 restrictions on movement. The four-year GLTFP is poised to end in December this year…
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Region Expected to Grow at 0.6% in 2020

The COMESA regional economy is projected to grow at a paltry 0.6% this year down from 5.2% recorded in 2019 and 6.0% in 2018. The slight dip in 2019 was attributed to lower commodity prices while the expected slump in 2020 will result from the devastating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic suggesting a deeper economic…
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Supporting Cross Border Trade with Masks

Cross Border Traders Association officials at Livingstone town in Zambia, receives a consignment of 1,250 face masks sent  by the COMESA Secretariat to support cross border trade. This was part of a 5,000 consignment of masks donated by the International Centre for Small Hydropower (ICSHP) based in China. COMESA and ICSHP have a collaborating framework…
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Consolidated List of COVID-19 Response Measures in Member States

Measures in COMESA MS in Response to Covid -19 Vol 10