The COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) agreement will officially come into force on July 25, according to a joint statement issued by the three regional blocs. As noted, the move follows the attainment of the required threshold. “The entry into force of the Agreement follows the depositing of the Instrument of Ratification by the Republic of Angola on June 25, 2024, bringing the total number of the Instruments of Ratification deposited to 14, the number required for the Agreement to enter into force, the statement reads in part. ALSO READ: COMESA issues consumer alert over faulty Takata vehicle airbags The announcement was made during the 37th Tripartite Task Force Meeting, which took place on July 20 on the sidelines of the sixth African Union Mid-Year Coordination meeting in Accra, Ghana. According to Elias Mpedi Magosi, the Executive Secretary of SADC and current Chairman of the Tripartite Task Force, countries that ratified the agreement accounted for 75% of the Tripartite's GDP in 2022. The countries that have deposited their Instruments of Ratification include Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Egypt, Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. “These countries together accounted for 75% of the Tripartite GDP in 2022, Magosi said in the statement. ALSO READ: Tripartite free trade area on course According to EAC Secretary General Veronica Nduva, attaining the required ratification threshold was a sign of the commitment of the partner states. “The fact that we have reached the required ratification threshold of 14 ratifications, developed modalities for implementing the Tripartite Agreement, finalised most aspects of the Rules of Origin, continued with engagements on tariff offers and developed the Tripartite Protocol on Competition Policy demonstrates that the Member or Partner States are committed to the process,” Nduva said. The decision to establish a Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) among the COMESA, EAC and SADC blocs was taken in October 2008 by the Tripartite Summit of Heads of State and Government with the aim to enhance market access, address the issue of multiple memberships and further the objectives of cooperation, harmonisation, and coordination of policies among the three Regional Economic Communities (RECs). ALSO READ: EAC, Comesa and SADC to launch free trade zone The Tripartite framework is based on three pillars: market integration, infrastructure development and industrial development. In the statement, the COMESA Secretary-General Chileshe Kapwepwe called on the Regional Economic Communities to ensure that the Tripartite works effectively. “To support the AfCFTA, we must ensure the tripartite works effectively. I urge the Tripartite RECs to lead the work under their respective pillars to avoid duplication of efforts,” Kapwepwe said. The COMESA Secretariat will lead the Market Integration Pillar, the SADC Secretariat will lead the Industrialization Pillar, and the EAC Secretariat will head the Infrastructure Pillar. The 29 Tripartite member or partner states represent 53% of the African Union's membership, which is more than 60% of continental GDP ($1.88 trillion), and a combined population of 800 million people.
