Aid for Trade Unit
Aid for Trade Unit
Following approval by the COMESA Summit in 2007, its Secretariat has established an Aid for Trade unit (effective from 1 October 2008) which will help countries to identify, design and implement projects and programmes that aim to remove trade related supply-side constraints. It was agreed that the Unit would be at least partly financed by donors and RTFP has therefore contributed technical assistance and office equipment towards the establishment of this Unit.
The consultant who has been contracted to support the Unit, has worked with RTFP on the development of the Regional Strategy (which, at the request of the Tripartite Task Force, now also includes SADC and EAC). He has also advised on the mobilisation of resources (including planning of EU EDF 10 financing for the Eastern & Southern Africa –ESA – and Indian Ocean – IO region). In this context he has also provided support to the Inter Regional Coordination Committee (IRCC) - see Report on activities to Oct 2008 70.86 Kb
The Aid for Trade implementation plan is merging various initiatives currently being undertaken such as the One Stop Border Programmes; the implementation of the COMESA Fund; the North-South Corridor etc. Recommendations will be made for the funding of the Aid for Trade programme through regional development banks; infrastructure funds and private sector sources etc and the Unit will work closely with such agencies as the World Bank; African Development Bank; NEPAD Secretariat; IMF and the UN to draw on their expertise and to ensure there is no duplication of effort.
The Aid for Trade Unit will also provide to support to country activities on Aid for Trade and is so far developing national AfT strategies in two pilot countries (in Zambia and Mauritius). The RTFP consultant is also developing criteria to identify bankable projects and, where possible, bundle them together into larger regional programmes with a common theme