Regional approaches to trade facilitation can deliver greater benefits to individual countries and the regional community than unconnected national reforms. Coordinated cross-border reforms would help create a more consistent and predictable regional trading environment without diverging administrative procedures and requirements in each member state. Harmonized formalities across regions would reduce business transaction costs, create the necessary condition for the development of regional value chains and further attract investment. African regional organisations can play a key role in coordinating trade facilitation reforms as they work towards deeper integration.
This session will discuss:
Regional approaches to trade facilitation reforms
Benefits of regional trade facilitation reforms
Paths chosen by African regional organisations in implementing reforms
Designing a regional trade facilitation roadmap
Moderated by: Mr Francis Ikome, Chief Regional Integration Section, UNECA
Speakers:
Mr Evariste Munyampundu, East African Community
Mr Kolawole Sofola, Principal Programme Officer-Multilateral Trade, Economic Community of West African States
Mr Jacob Kotcho, Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS)
