WE, the Regional Business Community, under the umbrella of the COMESA Business Council (CBC), herein present COMESA Business Declaration that was adopted by the 15th COMESA Business Forum, under the theme , “Bring back better for business: Addressing industry requirements towards recovery” held on 26th October 2021, whose regional private sector positions are hereby presented to the 21st COMESA Heads of State and Government Summit for consideration and endorsement.
EXPRESSING our utmost appreciation of the mandate and the platform that has been given to the COMESA Business Council, by the member states through the COMESA Secretariat, to have a direct engagement with the COMESA Policy makers, affirming the strong relationship between COMESA and the private sector, and public and private partnership towards competitiveness and regional economic development.
RECOGNISING the collaborative efforts between COMESA Business Council , COMESA Secretariat and also other COMESA Institutions in promoting Private Sector development in the COMESA region.
ACKNOWLEDGING the efforts being made by member States towards addressing the COVID 19 pandemic and steps taken to contain the pandemic and prevent it from further spread in the region.
Further recognising the efforts made by member states to re-open the economy in the wake of the pandemic through safe trade.
AFFIRMING the need to develop and implement measures that will accelerate recovery of businesses in COMESA region from the effects of COVID-19 Pandemic, particularly Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
AFFIRMING as the private sector, the theme of the 21st Summit of the COMESA Heads of State, on “Building Resilience Through Strategic Digital Economic Integration,” as an agenda for the region to advance the COMESA regional integration agenda using digital platforms , greatly aligned to the COMESA Business council efforts on promoting digital financial inclusion for Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) through a regulatory framework that promotes affordable, accessible regional digital payments solutions.
APPRECIATING the endorsement of member states towards the CBC, to host the COMESA Taste for Africa Trade Fair in 2022, and subsequently- every two years, to provide to facilitate business linkages, partnership, and joint ventures for the private sector in the COMESA region.
WE HEREBY DECLARE AS FOLLOWS:
1. On Digital Financial Inclusion for Trade :
Member states are requested to consider the industry led draft model digital payment policy for Micro Small and Medium Enterpises (MSMEs) for COMESA region which was validated and adopted by key stakeholders namely by financial services regulators, ICT regulators, Commercial Banks, Mobile Network Operators,
Manufacturers, Business and Women trade associations. The draft model policy will be presented to the policy organs for adoption and domestication at national level.
The model COMESA digital payment policy for MSMEs is a solution that will pave the regulatory foundation towards enabling low value, retail payment platform that will propel digital financial services for MSMEs in COMESA and further increase intratrade in Africa.
2. On Agro Industry/Manufacturing Sector;
In order to enhance the competitiveness of the Agro Industry/manufacturing, Member states are urged to develop mutual recognition frameworks for pre-packaged food in COMESA region to facilitate their smooth movement across the borders without being subjected to retesting, additional procedures and fees; develop a framework to facilitate implementation of product standards within the COMESA region and harmonize procedure for premarket approvals in COMESA region.
3. On addressing Illicit Trade in COMESA Region:
• Member States are urged to develop COMESA Anti-Illicit Trade Regulatory
Framework to enhance exchange of information, law enforcement cooperation, legal and technical assistance in the fight against illicit trade at a regional level; improve coordination and enforcement of illicit trade at national level; and enhance public awareness and information sharing
• Member states are further called upon to consider the ratification of the Protocol on
Elimination of Illicit Trade in Tobacco products and sensitize stakeholders on the tracking and tracing system as provided under Protocol on elimination of illicit trade in tobacco products.
• Member states are further called upon to support the application for the Observer
Status to participate in the WHO- FCTC Meeting of Parties ( MOP) Parties to the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products.
4. On Pharmaceutical and Health Care Services Sector :
• Member states are urged to harmonize registration requirements including inspection of drugs due variation of the registration requirements in COMESA member States and establish schemes to facilitate local manufacturers to import all their inputs tax free including removal of applicable fees and charges or source their inputs tax free.
• Member states are further urged to set up a high-Level Coordination Committee within the policy meetings on Trade, Industry and Agriculture, that will periodically review the constraints and issues faced by the pharmaceutical and healthcare services sector and to facilitate solutions to the impediments faced by the sector, as part of the strategic efforts towards business recovery, in the wake of the COVID- 19 pandemic.
5. On Duty Free Retail Sector :
• Member States are urged to increase stakeholder awareness on the role and potential of travel retail for African airports industry, in terms of revenue, employment, supply chain partnerships.
• Member states are further urged to put in place clear legislation in relation to the Duty Free Licenses and procedures, in order to ensure successful and highly operative travel retail channel systems at the airports and along the borders and address some of the regulatory and legislative barriers and introduce specific incentives to enable the growth of the industry.
6. On the Empowerment of Women in Cross Border Trade :
• Member states are urged to establish a public-private platform that fosters dialogue, collaboration, between women famers and government representatives to ensure favourable agriculture policies and the effective promotion of women in agri-trade.
• Member States are urged to provide market and trade information to women in cross border trade , and further encouraged to promote digital financial inclusion with a specific focus on institutional capacity building of national women associations.
7. On Trade Facilitation within African Continental Free Trade Area:
The Member States are requested to:
Fast track the conclusion on the negotiations of trade instruments especially on tariff elimination schedule and Rules of origin, to accelerate the implementation of the ACFTA.
• Prioritise the developments of the mutual recognition framework and the harmonisation of product standards in order to facilitate intra Africa Trade;
• Develop a Continental Simplified Trade Regime which will allow movement of goods based on low value of consignment to support small cross border traders especially women and youth;
• Establish sensitization, awareness and business capacity building programs for the business Community on AfCFTA benefits, opportunities and market access requirements, to be implemented by the national and regional business associations.
WE, the voice of the private sector in the COMESA, commit ourselves to fulfilling the above decisions of the 14th COMESA Business Declaration 2021, presented at 21st COMESA Heads of State and Government Summit, to ensure sustainable growth of the Businesses in COMESA region. Held at Sharm eL Sheikh, Egypt.
