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INTRA-African trade is the key to regional development and sustainability, which is an essential tool in reducing the development gap existing among African member states, Egyptian Ambassador Bassem Mohamed Abd El Khalil, has said. In an interview with The Business Post at the just-ended Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo in Harare, the Egyptian envoy commended the number of African buyers at the expo as a harbinger for the genesis of solid African business co-operation.
Of the total 80 buyers, African buyers constituted 34, only second highest after Europe’s 36.
“There is need to bridge the gap in the level of development among African states by doing more trade among ourselves because we are a rich resource-endowed continent. Expos of this nature should help develop links among African businesses,” said the ambassador.
According to latest United Nations statistics from their online journal, AfricaRenewal, intra-African trade is between 10 percent and 12 percent in contrast to intra-regional trade of 40 percent in North America and close to 60 percent in Western Europe.
It further highlights that over 80 percent of Africa’s exports are shipped overseas, mainly to the European Union, China and the United States of America.
However, considering how porous most African borders are, the figures might slightly be higher due to informal trade conducted by smuggling goods to neighbouring countries mainly due to high tariffs.
The SADC Trade Protocol has a provision that allows exemption from phasing out tariffs but other countries have simply reintroduced the tariffs or alternative instruments such as domestic taxes which demonstrate lack of political will to implement agreed obligations and serve as a retrogressive force to the promotion of intra-African trade.
Ambassador Mohamed Adb El Khalil also urged the Zimbabwean tourism industry to remain focused in dispelling the negative image portrayed by the international media stressing a similarity with the challenges the Egyptian tourism industry encountered in 2011 at the height of the Arab spring and announced the return of the Egyptian flights to the country.
“In November, Egyptian Air will resume flights to Zimbabwe which is another way of tourism promotion and we hope more tourists will visit Zimbabwe,” said the Ambassador.
“We are looking forward to regain the same figures we had prior to the revolution and by 2020 we hope to reach 20 million visitors, as you are aware we have bilateral relations with Zimbabwe, we have been working with the Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry (Engineer Walter Mzembi) to promote local tourism,” he added.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe Tourism Authority chief executive officer Mr Karikoga Kaseke said the expo did not live up to their expectations, a reason attributed to the not-so-successful event to human error.
Mr Kaseke blamed human slip-ups and promised to “sharpen their brains” and “pencil” and make future editions more successful. Several international buyers pulled out of this year’s edition over fears of the Ebola virus, while hotel bookings worth $6 million have been cancelled countrywide.
This year’s fair attracted international media as well as 698 exhibitors, 34 came from around Africa, while seven came from the Middle East. Two came from America while one came from China. “Let me rank this year’s edition as 5,5 over 10. As we do the post-mortem frankly and adequately, the mistakes did not require money, not even a cent, but can be attributed to human error. We can’t say we passed. We should have scored 6,5. In future, we aim to score 7,8. We will not reach nine,” Mr Kaseke said.
“We will reconsider the timing for Sanganai like in May and June because after talking to various buyers, we discovered that some would have closed the year’s business. We need three more years to reach where we want to be,” he said. He added: “We, however, achieved our intended goal of ‘Africa’s Premier Business Exchange’ and we would like to applaud buyers from across the world for making several workshops held during the course of the expo successful.” Deputy Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Cde Supa Mandiwanzira,
addressing buyers, local and foreign media at a cocktail at Meikles Hotel, urged the media to establish checks and balances in terms of ethics of journalism in their coverage of Zimbabwe and provide real facts to promote domestic tourism.
“No media organisation should do public relations on behalf of us (the Government). That we can do for ourselves. We are just asking you to be objective, truthful and put the facts as they are. The media should just say the truth about this country. Foreigners would see for themselves. If we are ugly, we are ugly, but if we are handsome and beautiful, please say so,” he said.
He encouraged the local media to assume the role of equal partnership with Government in terms of promoting positive destination image and consequently tourism and economic development for the benefit of the country.
Online Reporter