News
tralac’s Daily News Selection
The selection: Monday, 15 August 2016
UNECA/UNITAR e-learning course on industrialization in Africa via trade: registration details (26 Sept - 4 Nov)
SADC endorses Venson-Moitoi for second try at AU hot seat (Botswana Guardian)
2015 African Gender Scorecard (African Union)
The present report provides an analytical snapshot of the results of selected indicators to measure progress between women and men, to create a scorecard for African countries. It also discusses critical policy issues and outlines some policy recommendations to support member States in their efforts to achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment. Section 1 provides the background to the scorecard; section 2 discusses the sectors considered for scoring and the methodology; section 3 presents the main findings of the scorecard, with an analysis of the progress and achievements made by African countries in tackling gender inequality; and lastly section spells out some of the policy measures and actions needed to reverse inequality trends, and ways to accelerate greater change in the lives of African women and girls. [Downloads also available in French, Portuguese, Arabic]
Kenya in last-ditch efforts to woo its regional partners to sign EPA with EU (The East African)
Kenya, which stands to lose the most from a delayed EPA because it is ranked as a developing country – its partners are least developing countries – sees the meeting scheduled for Dar es Salaam from August 17 to 20 as an opportunity to lobby partners to join its corner. “Kenya has been talking to its neighbours to reach an agreement that will ensure that everybody gets on board and signs the agreement,” said Betty Maina, Kenya’s Principal Secretary for EAC Affairs. If the Council of Ministers reaches a consensus, an extra-ordinary heads of state meeting will be called to sign the EAC-EU EPA to give regional exports duty-free access to Europe.
The inherent dangers for the EAC signing the EAC-EU EPA (SEATINI-Uganda)
Kenya’s loss as a result of increase of tariffs on flowers will be real and immediate. However, this needs to be balanced with the long term losses the EPA will inflict on the region in terms of loss of revenue, negative impact on industrialisation and intra-regional trade, and on overall development. It should be recalled that right at the beginning of the negotiations, the EU had promised that as per the Lomé Acquis, no country will be worse off whether or not it signs an EPA. We therefore call upon:
Profiled trade-related commentaries: Moono Mupotola: 'The single African passport: a turning point for an integrated and prosperous Africa' (AfDB), Niti Bhan: 'Will cross border mobile money boost intra African trade and regional integration?', Lyal White and Liezl Rees: 'Fruitful businesses tap into continent at ground level' (Business Day)
On Brexit and African trade: commentaries by Daniel Knowles, Edward George, David Hannay
Making the most of ports in West Africa (World Bank)
This report is an assessment of private sector engagement (concessions) in the container terminal and ports market of West Africa, lessons from this experience and recommendations for the way forward. With the growth of port traffic and the upcoming renewal of existing concessions, it is critical to revisit now the concession process to better manage the next wave of concessions. Adequate resources need to be set aside to access the necessary expertise to supplement public capacity to negotiate concession agreements, to conduct transparent bidding processes which allow fair competition for the market and offer equal opportunities to new entrants, and to recalibrate the criteria for contract award towards economic impact as opposed to pure financial returns. In certain circumstances a negotiated process could be warranted notably when TOCs and shipping lines join forces to promote a transhipment terminal. [The analysts: Kavita Sethi, Olivier Hartmann, Antoine Coste, Gözde Isik]
Overview of trade and barriers to trade in West Africa: insights in political economy dynamics, with particular focus on agricultural and food trade (ECDPM)
This paper gives a general overview of trade figures and dynamics in the ECOWAS region with a focus on agricultural and food products. The study points to some of the overarching actors and factors that shape these regional trade flows at a broad level, in order to inform relevant stakeholders and guide more in-depth policy research. Key messages: [The analysts: Carmen Torres, Jeske van Seters]
Liberia: trade facilitation project launched (Daily Observer)
The EU funded project, which has a value of €2.1m, will continue until October 2018. The project will facilitate Liberia's international and regional trade, generate customs revenue and improve the accountability, transparency, effectiveness and efficiency of customs in Liberia. Capacity to tackle smuggling and fraud will be enhanced and the project will support Liberia's compliance with WTO obligations and the objectives of the EU's Economic Partnership Agreement with West Africa.
Sudan: Improving stakeholder engagement and establishing a trade facilitation roadmap (UNCTAD)
This will be the fourth event (14-18 August) organized within the framework of the UK-funded project to assist in the implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement, in close cooperation with the WCO. The objectives: to strengthen engagement of stakeholder in trade facilitation reforms, draft a 3-5 year trade facilitation implementation roadmap with key performance indicators.
Sudan welcomes inclusion of Chinese and Indian currencies in COMESA Clearing House (COMESA)
The Governor of the Bank of Sudan, Mr Abdelrahman Abdelrahman has welcomed the decision of the Bureau of Central Bank Governors of COMESA Member States to include the Chinese Yuan and the Indian Rupee as part of the settlement currencies for the COMESA Clearing House. Mr Abdelrahman made the remarks when he held talks with the Secretary General of COMESA Mr Sindiso Ngwenya in his office in Khartoum, Thursday 11 August 2016. The discussions between the two focused on ways and means of strengthening the COMESA integration arrangement. The decision to include the Yuan and the Rupee was made during the meeting of the Governors of Central Banks of COMESA Member States that took place on 3rd August 2016 in Kinshasa, DR Congo. This means that the two currencies can be used to transact business on the Regional Payment and Settlement System.
Relief as Tanzania ports authority moves to open liaison office in Kigali (New Times)
Rwandan importers and exporters will no longer need to travel to Dar es Salaam port, Tanzania to clear their shipments, thanks to a move by the Tanzania Ports Authority to open a liaison office in Kigali in October. Deusdedit Kakoko, the TPA director general, said the move aims at bringing services near to the Rwandan business community, “which will help cut the cost of doing business, and reduce the hurdles within the logistics and supply chain”. Rwandan importers say the development is an important milestone that will help address some of the challenges they face while using the Central Corridor.
Workshop on local content in the African extractives sector: insights for new producing countries (AfDB)
When well managed, natural resources wealth, including extractives, can accelerate Africa’s economic transformation and create jobs and opportunity for present and future generations. The challenge is finding ways to capitalize on extractive industries projects. Local content policies potentially offer countries and communities an effective pathway. In order to generate debate for increasing positive outcomes from extractives through local content policy, the AfDB's African Natural Resources Centre, King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Centre and OCP Policy Centre will co-host a workshop in Rabat on 5-6 September.
Malawi aligns its mining policy to the Africa Mining Vision (UNECA)
The Malawi Government, through Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mining with the support of African Minerals Development Centre, hosted a three-day stakeholder consultative meeting to review its 1981 Mines and Minerals Act and to align its Mining Regulations and new Petroleum Policy to the Africa Mining Vision. The meeting kicked off on 10 August 2016 at the UN Conference Centre in Addis Ababa and brought together the government, civil society representatives, industry operators, and other private sector actors to discuss the mineral governance frameworks.
Zimbabwe: Draft mining bill says foreign firms must list locally (Reuters)
Zimbabwe will only issue mining rights to companies listed on the local stock exchange and will not allow the export of raw minerals without ministerial approval, according to a draft mining bill published on Friday. The bill, which has been in the works for more than a decade, will now be sent for debate in parliament. Anglo American Platinum, Impala Platinum and Aquarius Platinum are some of the foreign mining firms operating in Zimbabwe but they are not listed on the local stock exchange.
The commodity price downturn and trade: finding solutions for Africa (tralac)
When a commodity-exporting country’s terms of trade fall, this involves a loss of economic welfare and a worsening of development prospects, as the capital goods required to finance development become more costly to the commodity exporter. For this reason the phenomenon of deteriorating commodity prices is important for the commodity-focused exporters of Africa. This paper explores the nature of the problems around commodity prices, the specific issues faced by African countries and the specialist producer groups within Africa, and the potential policy responses by the commodity producing nations. [The analyst: John Stuart]
DRC: Ivanhoe says copper find may be Africa’s most notable (Bloomberg)
The find at Kakula, in the southern portion of Ivanhoe’s Kamoa project, is “enormous,” Ivanhoe Mines DRC Managing Director Louis Watum said at a conference in the capital, Kinshasa. Discussions are under way on how to adjust the development strategy to allocate sufficient funds to bring the new discovery into production as soon as possible, he said in an interview afterward. “Earlier discoveries already have established Kamoa as the world’s largest, undeveloped, high-grade copper discovery,” the company said in a separate statement. Kakula “could prove to be Africa’s most significant copper discovery,” it said.
South Africa: PIC pressures Anglo American to hive off South African arm (The Australian)
Tanzania: Govt earns Sh331m royalties from tanzanite auction (IPPMedia)
Mauritius, Korea sign tax information exchange agreement (GoM)
Finance Minister Pravind Jugnauth, pointed out that the signing of the TIEA will further cement trade and bilateral relations between the two countries in various spheres. He also reaffirmed the intention of Mauritius to initiate negotiations on a Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement with the Republic of Korea. Both Mauritius and Korea are looking into other possible avenues of cooperation so as to promote trade and investment and further develop economic cooperation between the two countries.
Botswana: SA retailers urged to support local SMEs (Mmegi)
The local chamber of commerce, Business Botswana (BB) has called on locally based South African retailers to support and empower local entrepreneurs especially the small and medium-sized enterprises. The call was made at a workshop held by BB and retailers from the neighbouring country operating in Botswana on trade regulatory issues affecting local entrepreneurs. BB chief executive officer, Racious Moatshe, said they decided to engage the South African Business Forum after it emerged through their consultations with local retailers that most of their South African counterparts do not empower local entrepreneurs.
Nigeria spends $4bn annually on textile importation (Today)
The director-general of the Nigerian Textile Manufacturers Association, Mr Hamma Kwajaffa, has said that Nigeria spends $4bn annually importing textiles and ready made clothing. “Despite government’s intention to revive the sector, the reality on ground continues to be worrisome. The prevailing unprecedented harsh environment has no doubt dealt a serious blow to the already fragile industry. Unless urgent steps are taken by the government to address key issues raised by the industry, the ray of hope that had arisen from the recent government initiatives may get extinguished.”
Australia–China Joint Economic Report 2016 (EABER)
The Australia–China Joint Economic Report is the first major independent joint study of the bilateral relationship and has the blessing of both national governments. The Report is an academic policy study by leading researchers in both Australia and China. It draws policy conclusions to guide the development of bilateral economic relations that include an Australia–China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Change, an Australia–China Commission, and an Australia–China Basic Treaty of Cooperation. [Rebalancing in China: analytics and prospects (pdf, IMF)]
Mozambique: Nampula province triples exports (Club of Mozambique)
Botswana to have an energy regulator (Botswana Guardian)
Egypt: 50% decrease in tourists in first half of 2016 (Ahram)
South Arica: Trade conditions take a turn for the worse (Business Day)
Steel protectionism goes global (Bloomberg)
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