The inclusion of a digital trade protocol within the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) should minimise many already existing challenges across the continent.
This can significantly contribute to poverty reduction through the employment as well as e-commerce training and capacity building.
This is according to deputy trade and minister Verna Sinimbo who shared these sentiments in London this week during a two-day Commonwealth trade ministers meeting.
The 2023 Commonwealth trade ministers meeting provided an opportunity for ministers to take stock of developments in Commonwealth trade and investment since the 2022 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). This week’s meeting also enables ministers to reflect on opportunities for cooperation to increase intra-commonwealth trade and provide guidance on the way forward in advance of the 2024 CHOGM.
“The e-commerce will decrease transportation costs for trade deliveries by removing tariff barriers and will upgrade digital infrastructure by establishing more reliable payment solutions and improving internet access across the continent,” Sinimbo explained.
She added that due to the complexity of e-commerce, it overlaps with many areas of trade and law, such as consumer protection, data protection, intellectual property rights, competition policy, tax-related issues as well as regulation on online dispute settlement.
Sinimbo stated that issues related to market access, rules and regulations, facilitation, and those related to facilitating digital trade or e-commerce need to be addressed.
“We support the call for assistance in terms of capacity development to members by the Secretariat to assist us to develop and prioritise the required policy and regulatory frameworks on digital trade,” said the deputy minister.
The overarching objective behind AfCFTA is the elimination or reduction of tariff and non-tariff barriers among the 54 countries that agreed to be members of the continental trade bloc. This is done by providing a single market for goods and services, facilitated by the movement of persons to deepen Africa’s economic integration and prosperity.
Sinimbo further noted that Namibia aligns herself with the notion that the World Trade Organisation (WTO) should be transparent and rules-based and that it should be inclusive as well as equitable.
“The WTO should continue to seek to accommodate the heterogeneity of its membership in the implementation of existing trade agreements and effective and appropriate special differential treatment should remain an integral part of current and future agreements,” she added.
Photo: Sinimbo