Africa-Press – Botswana. The secretary general of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFTA), Wamkele Mene, was confident that in 20 or 30 years Africa could be the 7th or 8th largest economy in the world.”If we take advantage of the private sector and provide the necessary conditions for the private sector, there is absolutely no reason why the African continent, in 20 or 30 years, cannot be as competitive as other countries with similar populations”, said the official in a intervention at the first African-Caribbean trade and investment forum, held in Bridgetown, Barbados.
Introducing a panel on the role of the private sector in strengthening trade cooperation between Africa and the Caribbean, Wamkele Mene said he believed that if the continent used the trade agreement that created the AfCFTA to bring benefits to the private sector, it would see industrialization and the job creation you want to see.
Recognizing that Africa faces challenges such as overdependence on exports of primary commodities, the small size of economies or weak industrialization, the Secretary-General said that the AfCFTA intends to respond to these difficulties, aiming to consolidate the African market, from 1.3 billion people and a combined GDP of US$3.4 billion (roughly the same in euros).
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