At the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, it was predicted that most of the health systems in Africa and the COMESA region would be overwhelmed by the unprecedented spread of the virus. Anecdotal evidence based on country-specific interventions, however, indicates that countries in the region have demonstrated remarkable resilience defying earlier predictions. According to an…
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Rwanda and Uganda have recorded a reduction in trade flows in April and May 2020, according to the latest report from the COMESA Statistics on ‘COVID 19 Impact on Trade’. The report was prepared in the first two months in which COVID-19 spread to the region. Imports into Rwanda declined by 32 % in April…
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COMESA has published and gazetted the regional guidelines on the movement of goods and services across the region. This heralds the beginning of the implementation of the guidelines across the 21 member States. The guidelines were endorsed three weeks ago by the COMESA Ministers responsible for regional trade. Regional trade has consistently faced difficulties as…
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SITUATIONAL UPDATE_COVID 19_#17
This is a quarterly newsletter with news and information on COMESA programmes and events covering the first quarter of 2020 COMESA News Vol 1 2020-online
Consolidated list of measures that COMESA Member States have out in place in response to COVID-19 Measures in Member States in Response to Covid-19
COMESA congratulates Gen. Evariste Ndayishimiye, the President-elect of Burundi. Below is the message from the the Secretary General of COMESA, Chileshe Mpundu Kapwepwe: On behalf of the Chairperson of the Common Market of Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Authority, His Excellency, President Andry Rajoelina, President of the Republic of Madagascar, and COMESA Secretariat and indeed…
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In light of the various disruptions to business and supply chains across the region due to COVID-19, the COMESA Business Council has committed to support regional production and trade of essential supplies such as masks and sanitizers and to address the challenges regarding air cargo logistics within the region. According to CBC Chairperson, Mr. Marday…
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COVID-19 in COMESA-Situational Update 16
Remittance flows to Sub Saharan African countries will drop by 23.1% from $48 billion in 2019 to $37 billion in 2020 in the wake of the Covid-19 economic crisis, according to the World Bank. Globally, the top remittance recipients’ countries, last year were, India ($79 bn), China ($67 bn), Mexico ($36 bn), the Philippines ($34…
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