NEW: Capacity building key to AfCFTA implementation: ESAMI Board Chair

Online Reporter

The successful implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) depends on strong capacity-building initiatives, Eastern and Southern Africa Management Institute Governing Board (ESAMI) chairperson and Zimbabwe’s Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Mr Simon Masanga has said.

Mr Masanga said this while delivering a speech during the opening ceremony of the Africa Trade Symposium in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Tuesday.

The symposium is running under the theme “Domestication as an Accelerator for the AfCFTA Implementation: The Catalytic Role of Capacity Building.”

Mr Masanga implored trade experts and policymakers from across Africa to discuss key strategies for the effective implementation of AfCFTA.

“This symposium is timely as State parties, including Zimbabwe, grapple with the domestication and implementation of AfCFTA and other African regional trade agreements,” he said.

“The role of capacity building cannot be emphasised enough. We need to do more and be more focused.”

Mr Masanga pointed out a significant knowledge gap in public services regarding the complexities of trade agreements.

“Many within our public services still lack a clear understanding of how to harness the opportunities from these trade agreements, let alone comprehend their operational mechanics and binding implications for governments,” he said.

“We need to develop a pool of competent negotiators. My role as ESAMI Board Chair and Permanent Secretary has provided me with insights into the gaps that exist in our systems.”