Regulatory reforms hinder implementation of AfCFTA, says Economist

The Chief Economist, Economic Commission for Africa, Hanan Morsy, says regulatory
reforms hinder the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) on the continent.

Morsy, in a statement issued by the ECA, said this at the closing of the Experts Segment of the Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (COM2024) in Zimbabwe.

She said “Africa has an opportunity to leverage the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to break into supply chains that would not have been possible before.

“However, challenges remain in terms of regulatory reforms needed to advance the implementation of the agreement on non-tariff barriers, the high cost of doing business, political impediments, and connectivity challenges.’’

Inaugurated in 2018, the AfCFTA aims to create a single continental market with a population of about 1.3 billion people and a combined Gross Domestic (GDP) of approximately 3.4 trillion dollars.

The agreement entered into force in 2019. At its full realisation, the AfCFTA, with the mandate of eliminating trade barriers, will bring together the 55 African Union member states.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that stakeholders at the meeting proposed to hold the next ECA COM2025 in Ethiopia in March 2025 and has “Advancing the Implementation of the Agreement Establishing the AfCFTA: Proposing.

Transformative Strategic Actions” as proposed theme.

Morsy, who is ECA’s Deputy Executive-Secretary, also said that inter-regional trade in Africa stood at 13 per cent, compared with 55 per cent in Asia and 70 per cent in Europe.

She added that “we had witnessed disruptions in global supply chains due to global shocks, which has affected costs, trade flows, costs, and efficiency.”

According to Morsy, in proposing the theme of the AfCFTA, policy makers must consider the game changers for advancing the implementation of the free trade agreement.

She said this included developing and advancing cross-border payments systems, high cost of transportation across Africa, and using the AfCFTA

agreement to advance the development of carbon markets.

She pointed out that Africa was at the cusp of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, “happening at a time the continent was grappling with challenges of limited internet access and poor infrastructure.

“It is critical for Africa to improve access to digital services and address the skills and education gap.

“One of the things we can look to incorporate when we are talking about AfCFTA is the need for regional integration to address the issue of food security and energy transformation.

“Without addressing the huge energy gap, Africa cannot accelerate industrialisation and address food insecurity.”

Meanwhile, the next ECA COM2025 will bring together African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, governors of central banks, and entities of the United Nations system.

It will include the participation of pan-African financial institutions, youth representatives, African academic and research institutions, and development partners.

Intergovernmental organisations and other key stakeholders are included on an annual basis to engage and exchange views on the state of economic and social developments in Africa.