(minutes)
· Prominent African businessmen are rallying against a
full-blown postponement of AfCFTA and instead argue that it should be
recalibrated and rescheduled
· While the African businessmen concur that some aspects of
AfCATA may have to be rescheduled or its implementation delayed, a
lock, stock and barrel postponement may prove to be defeatist. Some
people even opine that Covid-19 should accelerate AfCFTA, not slow it
down since it can beat Covid-19 and speed up economic recovery
Prominent African businessmen are rallying against a full-blown
postponement of AfCFTA and instead argue that it should be
recalibrated and rescheduled. In the event of Covid-19, there is an
intense debate among the media and stakeholders about putting the
initiative under animated suspension till next year. There are even
reports in some sections of the media that it has been postponed from
July to an unspecified date next year.
While the African businessmen concur that some aspects of AfCATA may
have to be rescheduled or its implementation delayed, a lock, stock
and barrel postponement may prove to be defeatist. Some people even
opine that Covid-19 should accelerate AfCFTA, not slow it down since
it can beat Covid-19 and speed up economic recovery. They say that the
initial integration of goods and services should be those goods and
services, which can fight the pandemic, such as pharmaceuticals,
personal protective equipment, food products and emergency
cross-border transportation services.
The other area they point out is E-commerce, which is so necessary
during the Covid-19 days to avoid personal contacts. In fact, there
has been a proliferation of companies, which have sprung up during the
Covid-19 days to deliver things at home. Many e-commerce and retail
companies also have started e-payment platforms to ensure that the
people transact money through such platforms rather than personally.
Of course, in the coming days multilateral meetings may not take place
in the way they were happening earlier. However, the new trend is to
have the virtual meetings either though webinar or any other platform,
which can save considerable time and resources of the people who
attend such meetings. Africa can usefully deploy such technologies to
hold discussions and once the Covid-19 threat is completely waned out,
which may be possible sometime early next year, the negotiations can
be put into fast track.
