The selection: Monday, 1 February 2016

Today, in Gaborone: Botswana's 2016 Budget Speech. Twitter updates: @BWGovernment

Today, in Addis: the US-Africa Business Summit. Twitter updates: #AfricaBizSummit

Featured quote from the AU Summit: ‘Africa must not remain a continent in transition’, Macky Sall, Senegal's President & Chair NEPAD orientation committee

NEPAD Heads of State and Government meeting: input by AfDB's President Akinwumi Adesina, Zimbabwe’s President Mugabe

North-South Corridor: update by President Zuma (SABC)

‘This year we intend to undertake the following, with particular reference to the North-South corridor and international financing investment conference where we will open up the North-South corridor, fast tracked projects for investment and take off. A North-South corridor road show will be led by heads of state and ministers. A head of state gathering of the eight North-South corridors states will finalise the North-South corridor operational mechanisms.’

Note: the full set of outcomes from the Summit can be expected in about a week.

CFTA: Experts to review draft free trade agreement (UNECA)

The meeting (2-3 February, Abidjan) is expected to generate: a proposed outline of the continental free trade agreement, a detailed plan and timeline for the development of a draft agreement, terms of reference for the preparation of sections of a draft agreement and an agreed division of responsibilities for preparing sections of a draft agreement.

Political economy analyses of the African Union and regional economic communities in Africa (ECDPM)

From July 2014 until December 2015, ECDPM and theIDLgroup partnered to produce a study on the drivers and obstacles to regional cooperation and integration in Africa on behalf of the Swedish Embassy in Nairobi. The final report and the AU and the five REC case studies are now available for download. Key findings: The findings of the studies are organised according to ten key statements, discussed in greater detail in the remainder of this synthesis report. These statements - and some of the illustrative findings - are as follows:

EABC calls for changes in regional NTBs Bill (The East African)

The regional business community has criticised the EAC Elimination of Non-Tariff Barriers to Trade Bill 2015, saying it needs extensive changes in order to be effective. The East African Business Council has pointed out that elimination of NTBs is strictly dependent on the political will of the concerned parties, with no consequence for non-elimination and no restitution for aggrieved parties. To address this, EABC trade economist Adrian Njau proposes that the NTBs Act be taken back to the East African Legislative Assembly for amendment. Mr Njau argues that the Bill should provide for an alternative dispute resolution mechanism, arbitration by the trade remedies committee and the ability to petition the East African Court of Justice.

Updates from the RECs:

IGAD Council of Ministers: communique

Ministerial Meeting of the Peace and Security Framework on the DRC and the Great Lakes Region: communique

SADC: Regional agro-processing stakeholders training in SPS and food safety standards

Southern African Development Community Accreditation Services: Pretoria training session

A reminder, from @rsezibera: the EAC continues to invite comments on its 2050 vision document

Conference on Small Middle-Income Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa: statement by Min Zhu, Governor Linah Mohohlo

Participants concluded that...: 'In particular, countries should focus on investment projects that generate wide benefits to other sectors of the economy in priority areas (e.g., energy infrastructure) and rationalizing regulations that hinder the development of the private sector, while adopting a “smart” growth strategy that could take advantage of and/or adequately address global megatrends in technology, climate change, and demographics.' [Note: The keynote presentation by Min Zhu, IMF Deputy Managing Director, has a range of interesting graphics for the 7 focus countries. Other conference presentations can be downloaded here]

Powering Africa Summit (USAID)

The Power Africa Roadmap outlines how it will add 30,000 MW by maximizing value from existing transactions, advancing new opportunities for deal flow, and increasing the efficiency of existing generation. It also highlights how Power Africa will add 60 million connections by scaling up grid roll-out programs and intensifying its Beyond the Grid efforts. Also launched, the Power Africa Tracking Tool (PATT) allows for easy, real-time tracking of transactions across the continent. The PATT provides previously unavailable data that will increase transparency and drive the competitiveness of African markets. [Elumelu urges US Congress to pass the Electrify Africa Act (Naija247)]

Africa on the threshold of connected future – Kagame (New Times)

President Paul Kagame has said that the African continent is in the process of having a connected future with the ongoing efforts of pooling efforts and resources. The President made the remarks, yesterday, while chairing the third Smart Africa board meeting on the sidelines of the African Union summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The meeting was attended by Presidents Macky Sall of Senegal, Ibrahim Boubakar Keita of Mali, Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon, Rock Marc Kabore of Burkina Faso and Edward Ssekandi, vice-president of Uganda.

South Africa: trade statistics for December 2015 (SARS)

The R8.22 billion surplus is a 4.4% increase on the surplus recorded in December 2014 of R7.88bn. Exports of R88.77bn are 0.3% more than the exports recorded in December 2014 of R88.47bn. Imports of R80.55bn are 0.1% less than the imports recorded in December 2014 of R80.59bn. The cumulative deficit for 2015 of R48.63bn is 40.9% less than the deficit for the comparable period in 2014 of R82.27bn. The month of November 2015 trade balance surplus was revised downwards by R1.09bn from the previous month’s preliminary surplus of R1.77bn to a revised surplus of R0.68 billion.Africa trade surplus is R13 810 million – a 17.3% decrease. [Surprise trade surplus buoys the rand (IOL)]

Dianna Games: 'New Abuja route signals Nigeria is still an important partner' (Business Day)

SAA flies seven times a week to Lagos and the three remaining slots are being used for the Abuja flights. The new route forms part of SAA’s turnaround strategy, and there are early signs of success. The first return flight from Abuja to Johannesburg last week had a load factor of 67%. Airline executives believe the route will be profitable in a reasonably short time. There are many reasons why.

Lesotho: IMF concludes 2015 Article IV Consultation (IMF)

The rebound in SACU revenues contributed to Lesotho’s recovery from a severe fiscal crisis and supported the rebuilding of fiscal and external buffers, with official international reserves reaching 6.3 months of imports by end-March 2015. However, SACU revenues have fallen once again. After slipping to R6.6bn (about 26% of GDP) this year, Lesotho’s allocation will drop sharply to R4.5bn (about 16% of GDP) in 2016/17, with much of this decline expected to be long-lasting.

Botswana: Trade portal to improve cross-border trade (Daily News)

The trade portal also has an objective of making it easier for traders and investors to understand, navigate and comply with regulatory requirements associated with exporting and importing. This web-based tool was intended to helping Botswana to fully comply with its international obligations at the World Trade Organisation level.

Zimbabwe: Cross-border traders find new ways to evade duty (The Zimbabwe Independent)

A loquacious middle-aged woman immediately assumed the role of group leader and started collecting R20 or US$2 from every passenger on the bus before she handed it to the conductor who in turn gave the money to the Zimra officials before the bus was allowed to proceed. Such has become the norm on Zimbabwe’s highways as thousands of cross-border traders under-declare duty daily, prejudicing Treasury billions of dollars in potential revenues every year. Tax evasion by cross boarder traders heightened after government cut travelers rebate from US$300 to US$200 late 2015.

Zimbabwe, SA sign transport infrastructure MoU (The Chronicle)

The country’s transport sector is poised for major pickings after Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding for infrastructure development with South Africa on Friday to ease movement of traffic between the two countries. The MoU is a bilateral agreement on transport and development related matters which seeks make movement easier for people of the two countries by decongesting Beitbridge Border Post. Dr Gumbo said the MoU would allow the two countries to share expertise, infrastructure development and services as well as promote investments, industry and trade co-operation on equitable terms. [Govt installs CCTVs at Beitbridge Border Post (The Herald)]

Mauritius leads investment flows into Zimbabwe (The Herald)

According to the latest statistics (2009-2015) from the Zimbabwe Investment Authority, Mauritius is the largest source of investment flows accounting for $4,56bn while the British Virgin Islands is on sixth at $760,54m. China is the second largest source country at $2,81bn with the most significant amount of $1,09bn coming through in 2011. Other top source countries include South Africa at $1,54bn, US at $1,6bn, and Nigeria at $1,45bn. The bulk of the Nigerian investment were approved in 2015 for the Dangote Group whose strategist was in the country last week.

Angola chairs economic committee of African group in Brazil (Angola Press)

The Economic Committee of the African Ambassadors Group in Brazil, chaired by Angola, represented by ambassador Nelson Cosme, expressed its satisfaction at the mechanisms created by the Brazilian Government, through the APIEX Services ((Agency for Investment and Export Promotion) and BNDES (National Bank for Economic and Social Development), to facilitate trade and investment with African countries.

KRA widens port probe to stem tax leakage (Daily Nation)

Kenya Revenue Authority has launched investigations into operations of Container Freight Stations to stem tax evasion. KRA Commissioner General John Njiraini stated that the ongoing investigations are part of a wider campaign to enforce customs regulations and seal revenue leakages. The announcement comes after KRA confiscated 40 containers of contraband goods at Compact Freight Systems in Miritini Mombasa, last week.

Results-based budgeting comes to Zimbabwe (World Bank)

Nigeria seeks $3.5bn in loans from World Bank and AfDB (Bloomberg)

Malaysia’s long race to competitiveness (World Bank Blogs)

'World SME Forum': a global platform to support SME development, bridging Turkey B20 and China B20 (World Bank Blogs)

---

tralac’s Daily News archive

Catch up on tralac’s daily news selections by following this link ».

---

SUBSCRIBE

To receive the link to tralac’s Daily News Selection via email, click here to subscribe.

---

This post has been sourced on behalf of tralac and disseminated to enhance trade policy knowledge and debate. It is distributed to over 300 recipients across Africa and internationally, serving in the AU, RECS, national government trade departments and research and development agencies. Your feedback is most welcome. Any suggestions that our recipients might have of items for inclusion are most welcome.