SADC Trade In Services

Features

Guest writers comment on trade in southern Africa.

Tripartite talks set new trade path

The recent Tripartite Summit in Uganda between COMESA, the EAC and SADC is a symbolic step forward for regional integration, writes Dianna Games

Regional Infrastructure Gains Ground in SADC

A renewed commitment to regional infrastructure in SADC is apparent and a host of programmes are being developed. John Rocha looks at what is happening and ways to improve the project pipeline

The real business of regional integration

Greg Mills looks at the case of Rwanda in analysing the root causes of high transport and trade costs across Africa's borders

Kazungula Bridge

Dianna Games considers if improved infrastructure alone will help the region's traders

At the end of 2007, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique and Swaziland signed an interim EPA with the EU concerning the trade in goods (and thus satisfying the WTO compatibility requirements) whilst deferring negotiations on services, investment, competition etc until the end of 2008.

In this context, the SADC EPA unit requested assistance from RTFP for the financing of work to assist the individual countries with capacity building; identification of the main opportunities and constraints; to help prioritise and develop a GATS-type schedule for a limited number of sectors and to evaluate the potential economic costs and benefits from service liberalisation. As at August 2008, the work was still ongoing.