Africa-Press – Tanzania. The government has said the ratification of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement was in the final stages with the expectation of being tabled in the next parliamentary session from August 31st this year.
This was revealed by Mr Bernard Damas Haule, the Director of Trade, Investment and Productive Sectors, of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation.
He was speaking during AfCFTA private sector awareness and capacity building forum initiative held in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday evening.
“Tanzania will not leave a story unturned when it comes to increasing trade among African nations. We are finalizing AfCFTA documents and it is hoped that it will be ratified in the next parliament,” Said Mr Haule in the event which was graced by AfCFTA Executive Secretary Mr Wamkele Mene.
He insisted that among other processes when it comes to AfCFTA the government was busy creating awareness among the members of the public so that they can take part when the ratification process is completed.
Mr Francis Nanai, The Executive Director of the Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF), said that the private sector wishes to join and benefit from the larger market around African content.
However, he observed that there were still some suspicions that lack of skills, capital and technology would impede to take advantage of the wider market.
“Investors’ confidence gained momentum after President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s initiative of eradicating tediousness like alleviating nuisance taxes.
However the remaining question was on how Tanzania’s benefit from AfCFTA without in win-win situation than remaining a dumping stock for goods from other countries,”
The AfCFTA Executive Secretary Mr Wamekele Mene said that one of the important focuses by AfCFTA was looking towards the establishment of a future continental customs union to achieve sustainable and inclusive socio-economic development.
He said that gender equality and structural transformations within member states were part of the agreement to push intra-trade among African states to the next level.
