Continental MPs root for intra-Africa trade

African governments should ease border restrictions so that all Africans can travel easily to any African territory to make economic integration and intra-African trade more realistic.This call was made by African Parliamentary Speakers yesterday during a meeting in South Africa, held under the auspices of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP).“PAP and National Parliaments will work towards the elimination of trade barriers in Africa and encourage their respective governments to develop harmonised border regulations to reduce the high costs of informal payments that impede trade within the continent,” they said in a communiqué issued at the end of the two-day conference.Experts argue that it would be more appropriate for African leaders to abolish the visa restrictions altogether so that all Africans can travel easily to any African territory without having to acquire a visa.This would make economic integration and intra-African trade more realistic, reliable and profitable since all the waiting times would be eliminated altogether.According to experts, African leaders must also consider the issuing of regional visas like Ecowas Visa, EAC Visa, SADC/COMESA Visa, and abolish the individual country visas. This would also enable foreign investors or visitors the opportunity to visit many African countries on a single visa while avoiding all the long visa queues at the various African embassies.Asking the parliaments to ensure accountability to the trade promotion agenda, the Speakers also resolved that legislative assemblies, through the appropriate committees, sensitise governments to put in place policies that can help to support trade integration within the continent.The Speakers expressed their support for the review of the protocol establishing the PAP and agreed to sensitise their respective national parliaments on the need for the PAP to have legislative powers to ensure effective oversight of AU organs.The meeting asked PAP to undertake periodic monitoring missions to monitor compliance, identify best practices and urge action on ratification, domestication and implementation of AU decisions. They also called on the PAP and the National Assemblies to ensure that the ratification and implementation of AU instruments becomes an annual standing item on the Parliamentary agenda.Earlier, while opening the conference, Bethel Nnaemeka Amadi, President of the PAP, noted that intra–African trade will serve as bedrock for Africa’s economic resilience against macroeconomic shocks and protectionist trade policies if properly harnessed.“Enhanced intra-African trade will also provide employment opportunities for the teeming population of Africa’s unemployed youths,” he said. “It is time that Africa begins to plan for the future of these young people, because the harm that today’s youth unemployment is doing will be felt for decades to come. The time to act is now and we must seize the moment to ensure the continued economic viability of our continent.”.Amadi assured the Speakers of African Parliaments that the Pan African Parliament does not intend to derogate on the powers and national sovereignty of their parliaments but will co–exist with them.“A Pan-African Parliament with legislative powers will be a strong pillar of support to National and Regional Parliaments across the continent, especially when their continued existence is threatened”, he emphasised.Dr Donald Kaberuka, the President of the African Development Bank (ADB), who presented an overview of the factors mitigating against intra-African trade noted that trade holds remarkable unrealised potential as a driver of growth.He cited its economic benefits which include improved food security, increased potential for regional value chains to drive exports and new opportunities through the growth of trade and services.“These benefits would lead to higher growth, more jobs and more opportunities for poverty reduction”, Kaberuka said.