The Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini in collaboration with the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the United Nations System in Eswatini will hold a workshop to validate the National AfCFTA Strategy and Implementation Plan on 4 May 2023 Ezulwini, Eswatini. The validation will be preceded by engagements with Cabinet and Parliamentarians on 2nd and 3rd May respectively.
The series of workshops comes after the initial national stakeholder consultative meeting, held in November 2022, which signified the official launch of the process of developing the strategy. A zero draft of the strategy and the implementation plan is already in circulation to various stakeholders in preparation for the validation workshop.
The validation workshop will bring together experts, senior policymakers from the economic cluster ministries and other stakeholders in public, private and civil society to validate identified critical constraints and opportunities for growth and recommended actions through an action-oriented policy and investment programme for enhanced regional and intercontinental trade.
The specific objectives of the engagements are to:
- Present and validate the identified issues/constraints and opportunities impacting trade in Eswatini.
- Present and validate potential priority areas for policy actions/reforms and investments to trade, and competitiveness challenges in Eswatini, taking advantage of opportunities offered by the Africa Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA).
- Present and validate recommendations on mainstreaming the priority actions in national-level processes and Regional Economic Community (REC).
- Sensitization of Parliamentarians on the AfCFTA and the benefits that will come with the implementation of the strategy
- Ensuring that all relevant stakeholders have an input into the national strategy.
CONTACTS
For additional information, please write to:
Ms. Lungile Dlamini
Director, International Trade Department (ITD),
Email : mahlalelalp@yahoo.com
Ms. Maria Ngarachu
Economic Affairs Officer
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA),
Email : maria.ngarachu@un.org
Ms. Bonakele Sarah Ndzinisa
Trade Information Officer
Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade
International Trade Department
Email : bonasa2015@gmail.com
