Month: May 2020

May 24, 2020: Since the first case of Covid-19 was reported in the Great Lakes region in mid-March 2020, small scale traders have been unable to cross borders as they have traditionally done either to buy or sell goods. The regional supply of primary agricultural commodities, most of which are traded under the Simplified Trade Regime…
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Lusaka, May 24, 2020:  Corona-virus preventive measures taken by various Member States including testing, quarantines and restrictions of gatherings along border points have made it almost impossible for cross-border transactions to take place normally. Clearance of cargo has also been tremendously slowed down leading to long queues hindering supply of essential pharmaceuticals and food items. As…
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Lusaka, May 22, 2020: COMESA region currently has the lowest electricity generation with approximately 630 million people living without reliable access to electricity and 790 million people forced to rely on solid biomass to cook their food and heat their homes. Studies show that about 1.3 billion people worldwide still lack access to modern energy. However,…
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Lusaka, May 26, 2020: The International Monetary Fund projects that the global economy will contract by 3% in 2020 much worse than during the global financial crisis and grow by 5.8% in 2021, assuming that the pandemic fades in the second half of 2020 and containment measures are lifted. Sub Saharan Africa is projected to contract…
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