News

COMESA and European Union Launch New €40 Million Regional Circular Economy Programme

Lusaka, Friday, 16 August 2024: The European Union (EU) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) have officially launched a new regional Circular Economy Programme, following the signing of a €40 million financing agreement for the “SWITCH to Circular Economy in East and Southern Africa (SWITCH-2-CE in ESA)” initiative. The agreement was…
Read more

Digital platform for women entrepreneurs now has new resources for learning

In a bid to enhance its support for women entrepreneurship and women’s economic empowerment, the digital platform for women in business – 50 Million African Women Speak – has introduced a new section which provides a broad range of learning resources on various aspects of business. The resources are available via the landing page of…
Read more

Consultancy Services to Develop a Regional Pharmacovigilance and Communication Strategy for COMESA in Alignment with other Regional Economic Communities

This Request for Expression of Interest follows the General Procurement Notice for this Project that appeared in UN Development Business (UNDB online); on the African Development Bank’s Internet Website (afdb.org) and the COMESA Secretariat Website (www.comesa.int) on 10 February 2022. The COMESA Secretariat has received a grant from the African Development Fund towards the implementation…
Read more

COMESA Hosts Gender Statistics Training for Eswatini

COMESA, in collaboration with the Investment Climate Reform (ICR) Facility, hosted a three-day training workshop on gender-disaggregated data and statistics for Eswatini from August 5 to 7, 2024. The workshop’s goal was to introduce participants to concepts of gender and gender statistics, including data collection techniques, data analysis, and the policy implications of using gender…
Read more

Ethiopia’s Horticulture Sector Poised for Growth with CEHA National Chapter Launch

Ethiopia’s horticulture sub-sector is set for significant growth following the launch of the COMESA-EAC Horticulture Accelerator (CEHA) National Chapter. This initiative, unveiled in Addis Ababa on August 13, 2024, is part of a broader strategy to tap into the vast potential of the horticulture industry across the region. At the launch event, industry stakeholders praised…
Read more

Countdown to the 23rd COMESA Summit Begins as Burundi Signs Host Agreement

Bujumbura, Burundi, August 13,2024:  The countdown to the 23rd COMESA Heads of State and Government Summit has officially begun with the signing of the Host Agreement between the Government of Burundi and the COMESA Secretariat. Burundi’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation, Ambassador Albert Shingiro, and COMESA Secretary General, Chileshe Kapwepwe, signed the agreement…
Read more

DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTERACTIVE ELEARNING PLATFORM FOR CONTINUOUS SENSITIZATION AND TRAINING ON THE COMESA RULES OF ORIGIN AND TRADE FACILITATION INSTRUMENTS FOR THE CUSTOMS OFFICERS, TRADE EXPERTS, AND PRIVATE SECTOR STAKEHOLDERS IN THE COMESA MEMBER STATES

The overall objective of the assignment is to enhance the COMESA e-Learning web-based platform and to design, develop and deploy e-Learning Modules on COMESA customs and trade facilitation instruments with particular emphasis on the COMESA Rules of Origin which aimed at  rolling out an interactive online digital e-Learning platforms to provide continuous training to Government…
Read more

Time to Reform the COMESA Simplified Trade Regime

Representatives from nine countries in eastern and southern Africa that implement the COMESA Simplified Trade Regime (STR) concluded a two Policy Dialogue in Machakos, Kenya on 6 – 7 August 2024. The dialogue was necessitated by the need to address emerging policy and technical issues facing implementation of the STR and make recommendations to policy…
Read more

Impact of Emerging Risks on Financial Stability

Financial stability is increasingly being tested by emerging Cyber, Fintech and Climate Change risks. These come amidst increased technological innovations in the financial sector to provide financial services efficiently, especially to the financially excluded. Moreover, the entry of non-financial firms into the financial space is increasing competition in the financial sector, reducing the market share…
Read more

Annual Inflation Rate in COMESA Region at 23%

The year on year, inflation rate (annual percentage change) in the COMESA region as measured by the Harmonized Consumer Price Index (HCPI-COMESA) stood at 23.2.% for the month of June 2024, down from 23.7% registered in May 2024. A year earlier, the rate was 29.2%. HCPI-COMESA comprises twelve divisions of expenditure including food clothing housing,…
Read more