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THE 21st Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) Heads of State and Government Summit begins in Egypt today with in-person and virtual participation of member countries and heads of African economic blocs.
Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, will take over as the chair of Comesa from the outgoing chair, the President of Madagascar, Mr Andry Nirina Rajoelina.
He will also lead the launch of the Comesa Medium-Term Strategic Plan (MTSP) 2021- 2025.
“Building Resilience Through Strategic Digital Economic Integration” is the theme for the summit, which seeks to rally member States on how to safeguard and advance the Comesa regional integration agenda.
Using digital platforms to facilitate doing business and enhancing their resilience to face the economic repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic is at the heart of the crunch deliberations.
The 21st Summit is expected to review a number of key reports on economic integration priority issues and the status of the Covid-19 pandemic in the region, among others, Comesa head of corporate communications, Mr Mwangi Gakunga, said.
The Summit will also witness the swearing-in ceremony of the Comesa Court of Justice Appellate Division judge and the newly-appointed Commissioners of the Comesa Competition Commission and the Comesa Committee of Elders, in addition to announcement of the winners of the media and innovation awards, he added.
On Sunday, the Comesa secretary general, Ms Chileshe Kapwepwe, held a joint Press conference with Egyptian Minister of Trade and Industry, Nevine Gamea, in which they shared key insights about the Summit.
“The Egyptian government is looking forward to making the most of Egypt’s second presidency of Comesa, 20 years later since the last time it assumed the chair of the authority in 2001, in further deepening cooperation among member states in many fields,” Gamea said.
She said during its tenure as Comesa chair, Egypt was determined to work with other African countries, to achieve economic integration on the continent and overcome obstacles that may hinder free trade.
In her remarks, Ms Kapwepwe, explained that the Summit comes at a very critical time, especially in light of the challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic on States whose economic performances have declined as a result of the slowdown of the global economy.
These challenges, she said, are a motivation for Comesa countries to continue working to deepen economic integration and create a conducive climate for the business community and the private sector, intensifying efforts to boost joint investments in various infrastructure sectors and most notably in telecommunications, transportation and energy.
Comesa’s average economic growth rate hit 5,6 percent in 2019 but fell significantly during 2020 due to the outbreak of the pandemic which affectedd most member countries.
The International Monetary Fund forecasts a rebound in the Comesa economic growth to 4,3 percent this year and six percent in 2022, thanks to a worldwide economic recovery driven by vaccination efforts against the Covid-19 virus and a pickup in global demand.
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