ADDIS ABABA- Addis Ababa will host the first international conference on Africa trade and finance on May at African Union hall said Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Association. Briefing journalists yesterday, Mesenbet Shenkute President of the Association said that the first international conference on Africa trade and finance is organized jointly by Ghana’s Rescue Shipping and Investment Agency in Addis Ababa on May.
During the conference, trade and finance performances would be evaluated, assessed and reviewed to get inputs for future policy. Moreover, causes for continental low level trade integration and its solutions would be also assessed, she said. On the other hand, the role of African government and private sector to meet Africa’s goal to establish free trade agreement would be discussed.
Challenges and solutions of trade and finance alternatives would be identified and reviewed through panel discussions. And the trade opportunities which will gain implementing finance alternatives would be evaluated by finance sector institutions representatives, policy makers and others.
Policy level condition of Ethiopia’s trade sector will also be assessed, she noted. African Union, African Economic Commission, Development Bank of Africa, ECOWAS, SADC and Africa Trade and Development Bank would attend the conference. International, continental and regional higher education and private sector institutions leaders will present their thoughts. And various African scholars will share and present their experiences related to trade and finance, she added.
Selasi Koffi, CEO of Rescue Shipping and Investment Agency on his part said that the conference enables to enhance intra free Africa trade to gain all opportunities in trade and finance sector. This facilitates partnership and foster trade and trade coalition to support countries economy. “If we moved as bloc as African continent to look for a bigger partnership and bring a heavy investment in the continent, we should go stronger and probably bargain better interest rate.” Less enhanced African partnership is challenging the continent.
This not enabled to influence trade and encourage uniformity to bargain in the continent, he stated. The conference is expected to create opportunity for Ethiopian finance sector institutions, policy makers and pave the way to get experience from international trade and finance procedures, policies and performances.
Herald January 12/2019
BY TSEGAYE TILAHUN
