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tralac’s Daily News Selection
The selection: Tuesday, 19 July 2016
Starting tomorrow, at the WTO: China’s Trade Policy Review
Evidence on post-Brexit issues, by Michael Johnson (former UK Government trade negotiator) to the All-Party Parliamentary Group: UK trade negotiations and agreements post-Brexit, UK development policy post-Brexit [All written submissions]
Increasing number of labour provisions in trade agreements don’t hamper business (ILO)
Trade-related labour provisions, such as ones that address labour relations or minimum working conditions for employees, do not harm business or make trade provisions less popular, according to a study released by the ILO. The research found that a trade agreement which included labour provisions raised the value of trade by 28% on average, as compared with 26% for a similar agreement without the labour provision.
The G20 and SME development: what is the business community recommending? (World Bank)
After months of analysis, debates and deliberations, the 2016 China B20 SME Development Taskforce identified a set of challenges which constitute major impediments to SME development in both developed and developing countries. These challenges require the attention of G20 Governments: (i) Inefficiencies in cross-border trade that impede SMEs’ access to overseas markets. These inefficiencies include those due to the cost and complexity of operations, including weak use of, and access to, cross-border electronic trade. (ii) SMEs’ relative isolation from Global Value Chains due to difficulties in accessing relevant information about markets and supply-chain stakeholders, and the difficulties in meeting and obtaining certification for required international labor, environmental, social, product and quality standards.
Best practices on WTO post-accession: a note by the Secretariat (WTO)
Based on the experience and lessons learned from 36 accessions since 1995, this Note provides an overview of the emerging best practices on post-accession, which could guide new Article XII Members in the preparation for their WTO membership. These best practices on post-accession, at the same time, complement other support which is provided by the WTO Secretariat in response to specific requests for post-accession implementation, especially for newly acceded LDCs.
Development Co-operation Report 2016: the Sustainable Development Goals as business opportunities (OECD)
The Development Co-operation Report 2016 explores the potential and challenges of investing in developing countries, in particular through social impact investment, blended finance and foreign direct investment. The report provides guidance on responsible business conduct and outlines the challenges in mobilising and measuring private finance to achieve the SDGs. Throughout the report, practical examples illustrate how business is already promoting sustainable development and inclusive growth in developing countries. Part II of the report showcases the profiles and performance of development co-operation providers, and presents DAC statistics on official and private resource flows. [Supporting commentaries by: Jay Collins, Amina J. Mohammed, Gavin E.R. Wilson]
IFC InfraVentures: update (IFC)
“Here’s the secret of infrastructure financing: It’s about putting together the right partnerships around the table,” said David Donaldson, IFC InfraVentures’ lead for Africa. “We are working to create bankable projects that will attract private investors. This takes time. We get involved at an early stage and make the projects happen.” This early-stage work can be slow going but the rewards are huge: InfraVentures’ first project to begin commercial operations, the Tobene power plant in Senegal, is now providing electricity to 1.5 million people. Nachtigal, a Cameroon hydropower plant co-developed by InfraVentures, is set to increase that country’s power generation capacity by a third when it enters commercial operations in five years’ time.
SADC macroeconomic peer review mechanism: communiqué (pdf, SADC)
SADC Ministers responsible for Finance and Investment and the Central Bank Governors constituting the Macroeconomic Peer Review Panel, met on 7 July in Gaborone to review Angola, Swaziland and Tanzania - the second group of State Parties (to the Protocol on Finance and Investment) to be reviewed since the SADC Macroeconomic Peer Review Mechanism was launched in May 2013 in Maputo, Mozambique. This statement summarises the main findings and recommendations of the Panel as well as the Authorities views.
UNCTAD panel debate: Establishing high-value local content in extractive industries (UNECA)
Stephen Karingi, of the UNECA's Regional Integration and Trade Division, emphasised that it is important for local content policies to be transparent and predictable, adding this would reduce the burden on business by allowing businesses to plan how to respond to these requirements. He expressed support for regional cooperation on local content policies, including other policies that can support intra-regional trade such as development of regional infrastructure and payments systems interconnectivity. The other panellists urged for local content requirements to be non-binding, to be time-limited and discussed the potential role of donors in supporting feasibility studies on local content requirements.
Zambia: Mining investment and governance review (World Bank)
This is why the World Bank chose Zambia as the first country to pilot The Mining Investment and Governance Review (MInGov), which collects and shares information on mining sector governance, its attractiveness to investors, and how it contributes to national development. The review, based on data from in-country interviews and desktop research, assesses sector performance from the perspective of three stakeholder groups - government, investors in the mining value chain, and civil society - and identifies gaps between declared and actual government policy and practice. Throughout the survey, key stakeholders noted the need for the mining industry to more effectively use local products and services. Currently there is no national supplier development policy for the industry. Consequently, 95% of goods and services used by the mining industry are imported.
Namibia’s diamond discoveries seen extending mining by 50 years (Bloomberg)
Discoveries of diamonds on land bordering the southern Atlantic coastal areas of Namibia, the world’s largest producer of marine gems, may extend ground-based mining operations by another 50 years, Finance Minister Calle Schlettwein said. The government signed a 10-year deal with De Beers in May to get $430 million of rough diamonds annually for sale through the country’s Diamond Trading Co. The agreement would still be improved to Namibia’s advantage, Schlettwein said. “I don’t think it is the end of it, it is one step closer to our target of having better value-sharing," he said.
South Africa: Barriers to entry project papers (CCRED)
For this reason, CCRED is conducting a programme of research focused on barriers to entry and inclusive growth. The project involves researching and analysing the barriers to entry across a range of sectors in South Africa and in the region with the intention of formulating policy recommendations that will help to facilitate greater levels of entry and competition and thus drive higher growth. The study is divided into three parts: [Various downloads]
SADC hurt by Mauritius’ withdrawal from tourism bloc (Southern Times)
At their meeting in Gaborone last week, the tourism ministers agreed that while they would accept Mauritius’ decision to withdraw from RETOSA, they would continue to engage the Indian Ocean archipelago country “to establish the reasons for its withdrawal with the view to address any such reasons to encourage Mauritius to re-join the organisation”. According to the communique issued after the ministerial meeting, Namibia and Angola have offered to assist Botswana Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism, Tshekedi Khama – who is also the Chairperson of the SADC Committee of Ministers Responsible for Tourism, in “engaging Mauritius”. [IATA signs MoU with African Union Commission (New Era)]
SA tourism to Zimbabwe down sharply (NewsDay)
Tourism minister Walter Mzembi told News24 in an interview on the sidelines of the African Union summit in Kigali, Rwanda, over the weekend that Zimbabwe used to have about 2,1 million tourists arrivals in the country, of which almost 1,5 million were South African. “It went down by almost 50%, and that is not assisting (the struggling economy),” he said of the economic situation in the country. The bullish United States dollar has made Zimbabwe as a destination uncompetitive for South Africans and anyone not using US dollars,” he said.
Ilmari Soininen: Making trade facilitation work in Africa - lessons from the service delivery agenda (ICTSD)
At a time when countries across the African continent are deploying important efforts to facilitate trade, what can we learn from these services for strengthening trade facilitation reform and ensuring impact?
Rwanda: Cross-border money transfer service fosters use of e-money among traders (New Times)
Teta Mpyisi, MTN Rwanda's senior manager for brand and sponsorship, said an average of about 2,650 transactions are conducted on the MTN Mobile Money platform between Rwanda, Kenya and Uganda per month, adding that the firm has about 3.7 million mobile money users. Sunny Ntayombya, the Tigo corporate communication and government relations manager, said that through the Tigo Cash platform, more than 1.1 million Rwandans are now able to transact with merchants, and send and receive money from Tanzania and the DR Congo.
Sudan-Ethiopia OSBP: validation workshop (IGAD)
IGAD organised the workshop to validate studies just completed towards the establishment of a OSBP on the Sudan and Ethiopia border. The studies are funded through a grant from the Government of Sweden. This project will serve as the pilot project towards establishment of OSBPs in the IGAD region. Once established, the OSBPs will play a pivotal role in enhancing regional trade and integration and hence providing immense socio-economic development in the region.
Mauritius-EAC trade and investment linkages: update (Daily News)
Apart from visiting the Indian Ocean Commission, Amb Mfumukeko also seized the opportunity to market EAC to the Mauritius Private Sector stakeholders, including meeting with the Mauritius Chamber of Agriculture, Mauritius Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Enterprise Mauritius, Mauritius Investment Authority, Business Mauritius and Mauritius Export Association. the Mauritius Private Sector has expressed the need to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the EAC. The Africa Centre of Excellence for Business has pledged to develop an EAC Handbook on Opportunities that will serve as a marketing tool to underpin the collaboration. Plans include:
Development and globalization: facts and figures (UNCTAD)
Launching this year's ‘Development and globalization: facts and figures’, UNCTAD Secretary-General Mukhisa Kituyi said that if rich countries had consistently met the 0.7% target since 2002, then developing countries would have been $2 trillion better off. "The Sustainable Development Goals represent the outcome of long, serious discussions on how we want our world to look in 2030, but this vision needs serious finance," UNCTAD Secretary-General Mukhisa Kituyi said.
High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development: ministerial segment (UN)
The Economic and Social Council heard from experts during three panel discussions on: 'Reaching the most vulnerable', 'Challenges of countries in special situations' and 'Unlocking means of implementation for the Sustainable Development Goals and creating an enabling environment'. Speaking during the general debate were high-level officials and representatives of Thailand (for the Group of 77 developing countries and China), Bangladesh (for the Group of Least Developed Countries), Zambia (for the Group of Landlocked Developing Countries) and Tunisia (for the African Group). Debate summary:
Namibia moves to protect intellectual property (Southern Times)
Tanzanian horticultural exporters are worried over 'Brexit' (Coastweek)
Why cautionary approach to EPA’s deal is important (Daily News)
African leaders commit to eliminate malaria by 2030 (New Times)
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