Posted on 11/23/2017 8:31:06 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
Addis Ababa — Roads and railways, bridges and harbours - that's what we need to invest in if we are to grow Africa's economies and provide jobs for the millions of young people who want to become part of the continent's growth.
That - and the need for trade among African countries in goods ranging from cooking oil to cement - is the message coming from a major conference in Addis Ababa.
The executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Vera Sogwe, told delegates at the conference that "overcoming infrastructure gaps remains critical if the continent is to unlock its economic potential".
The gathering opens UNECA's Tenth Session of the Committee on Regional Cooperation and Integration. Its theme is "Implementation of the Continental Free Trade Area and Shared Gains", and it brings together scores of delegates from various spheres - including representatives of governments, civil society and NGOs.
This year's session, Songwe said, builds on the history of supporting Africa's regional integration agenda since the first meeting in 1999. "The tenth session therefore meets at a time of considerable relevance for further deepening existing regional processes on the continent".
She reminded the audience that they would be considering a report which presents the "ECA's articulations" of Africa's structural transformation "through inclusive economic growth and sustainable industrialization".
She said there was a consensus that "quality economic infrastructure in Africa is a catalyst to its industrial development". This, she said, was exemplified by current efforts that focus on scaling up infrastructure facilities at national and regional levels.
"Implementation of initiatives for promoting regional investments... as well as the Continental Free Trade Area need to be supported by all member states to achieve the free movement of goods, services, capital and labor that create a veritable continental market," Sogwe added.
At its 18th ordinary session held in 2012, the African Union adopted a decision to establish the CFTA, which among other things aims to create a single continental market for goods and services; and also to expand intra-African trade "through better harmonization and coordination".
"When we trade among ourselves – although that trade volume is low – but 46% percent [of that low volume of trade] is value added product," David Luke said to allAfrica on the sidelines of the meetings. He's ECA's African Trade Policy Center Coordinator.
"We are talking here about cooking oil, cosmetic products, gasoline, cement," he said.
Luke said "more jobs, investments and technological adaptation" come with value addition. "But when we trade with external partners, 80 percent of what we send is just basic commodity; no processing."
He said in order to boost intra-African trade, tariffs needed to be brought down. The average tariff within Africa is eight percent, he said; whereas with "our external partners, it's two percent". A speaker noted that he spent about U.S.$700 to ship a container to China, but ten times that amount to ship the same good from Addis to Nairobi.
Another speaker at the opening session, Ethiopia's Foreign Minister Bekele Bulado, said it was prudent that the CFTA negotiations take into account the different levels of development: "The modality should also accommodate the Least Developed Countries, landlocked, small islands and vulnerable economies with regard to improving their productive capacity."
Bulado said closer integration with African states has been a long-standing objective of Ethiopia. "We firmly believe that strengthening our trade relations among African nations from the current lowest level compared to the other regions in the world, through the implementation of Continental FTA, is very important."
The committee, which meets on a biennial basis, reviews the work undertaken by the ECA on regional integration and trade. Organizers say this year's session, which will last until the 2nd of November, provides a platform for member states to deliberate on issues affecting the continent, "including ways and means of promoting and accelerating the CFTA".
They need to get rid of leftist NGOs and politicians who are like a 30 pound tick on a 15 pound dog.
How about more democracy?
What they need is money. Just getting all the money that’s been embezzled reaching Africa would be a great start.
Cement ... if a country can’t make it’s own cement it’s in bad shape. But then there has to be corporations with money to buy it and pay for it. But even before then, you need a well educated government who doesn’t embezzle money.
Rule of Law, Personal Liberty, Seperation of Powers, rtc.
Basically Western Civilization as developed by old White Guys.
You mean like the colonizing powers were bringing pre 1960 or so?
Aid pours into the pockets ofo tyrannical dictators like Mugabe. When their gone, they’re replaced by younger tyrants. It’s always been that way and always will be.
How about less socialism and more capitalism? Nah, that can’t possibly work. /s
Africa Wins Again. Africa always wins.
This in turn creates the tin-pot dictators or warlords that keep the people suppressed.
A country like Liberia, for example, should be a paradise. It is right on the Atlantic coast, it is a sun-kissed strip of land, and the potential is there to create a dynamic economy to rival that of Hong Kong.
Nah... let them figure it out on their own.
They did SO well, after all, in Rhodesia... I mean, LOOK how prosperous it is now...
How about simply less tribalism?
Regards,
Affica need new leaders. Until then, Affica cesspool.
Good government first and foremost. The only way Africa can succeed is to get some white colonial administrators back as they knew how to successfully run Africa. Since the whites were kicked out, it’s been nothing but corrupt, failed banana republics amassing wealth for the most elite corruptocrats.
What Africa needs is Jesus.
I read an article where the President of Sierra Leone was lamenting the lack of political leadership and knowledge. Including himself to some degree - but primarily in the various regions, where the leaders still are bribed by diamond miners, etc. (IIRC, the country is to get a fee back on the mined diamonds, but the diggers get around that by bribing the local officials.)
So as another poster said - following the rule of law is important, and is lost on a lot (most?) places in the world.
I would add this....the two immediate things that could be delivered and make a difference? Birth control, and solar generated electricity. Add onto this...a total absolute ban on weapon sales to any African country.
The whole of Africa needs to settle back on a lesser population.
They won’t, they have a priceless commodity to the Chinese, women and land.
The actual truth can not be spoken in a public forum due to political correctness. However, most normal people understand what that actual truth is.
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