No doubt, Ethiopia has always set examples in the endeavors to integrate Africa economically.It is well documented that social and economic cooperation among African countries is far below expectations—harming the growth and development of a billion of people of the continent. The council of Ministers last week deliberated on a draft law set to pass the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA). The law drafted by the Ministry of Trade and Industry saw the light of day by the Council and is expected to see same light by the House of Peoples Representatives.
The Council passed the draft document in the sense that the country’s speedy development—deemed to benefit people at all levels—democracy and governance cannot come to fruition without considering regional and global developments. That is the raison d’être behind the African Union aspiration of integration and Ethiopia’s successive measures of reinforcing this same issue.
The economic integration has a noble objective of bringing African people out of the abyss of underdevelopment. The millions of youth of the continent should benefit out of opportunities created as a result of free movement of people, capital and goods, among others—a ticket that could help Africa harnesses its full development potentials. Intra-African trade, one area to tap full potential, is the least compared to other continents. It represents around 14 percent of the total trade of the continent. Other regions registered higher rate in this regard.
To cite, “the shares of intraregional trade in South and Central America, North America, European Union and Asia stand at 17 percent, 49 percent, 61 percent and 62 percent respectively” (See report by ECA Committee on Regional Cooperation and Integration Ninth session Addis Ababa, 7 – 9 December 2015.) The CFTA is, therefore, an instrument to enhance trade among African nations that eventually award the people a new lease of life. It is a stark truth that individual countries in almost all Regional Economic Communities (RECs), RECs, the AU and other partners have leapfrogged towards the realization of the goals laid to this end.
Ethiopia, however, as an individual country and as a seat of the Continental Organization has always pioneered in translating Africa’s dreams into reality. Starting from the inception of the formation of OAU to contemporary development of AU, our country has remained being one of the front runners in many respects. Visa-on-arrival launched to all African visitors in addition to the e-visa system that is made accessible to all international visitors could be mentioned here.
It as well become one of the champion countries, or one of the pioneer eleven countries, in signing the Single African Air Transport Market back in 2018, just to add. Actually, all the steps taken show the firm political commitment of the government of Ethiopia to the realizations of Africa’s dreams—a commitment unshakable over successive regimes to agreements Heads of state and government entered. In most cases the problem in Africa has not been signing or ratifying new agreements. However, lack of political commitment from individual countries’ side has remained one of daunting setbacks to transform the Continent.
Hence, Ethiopia’s example should be emulated by other member countries of the AU. Backlogs of agreements shelved so far that could change lives at the second largest continent should be put in the limelight. Africa has all the potentials, to growth and development, ranging from able human capital to untapped mineral resources.
But, due to limited infrastructure and laws and regulations that debilitate the movement of people, goods, capital and the like, the continent’s transformation has critically been harmed. Today, thanks to progressive governments in Africa, the situation is being reversed. Governments like ours have started to embrace the continental aspirations in their respective development agendas.That is what exactly the Council of Ministers has done over the last weekend.
Herald February 8/2019
