Zambia says peace key to smooth implementation of African free trade area
Peace and stability are vital if Africa is to see any tangible benefits from the implementation of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), a government official said on Thursday.
This is according to a release from government office on the sidelines of the 34th AU summit in Ethiopia.
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The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Joseph Malanji, said Africa would only thrive if it tackles the problem of instability that has ravaged some countries.
The minister said the southern African nation supports the AU agenda of creating a single market as envisaged in the country’s 7th National Development Plan (7NDP) that promotes an open and liberalised economy, the statement said.
The AfCFTA, which was unveiled in March 2018, creates a single continental market for goods and services as well as a customs union with free movement of capital and business travellers.
It is meant to create a tariff-free continent that can grow local businesses, boost intra-African trade, rev up industrialisation and create jobs.
