A visa which is a permit to enter, leave, or stay for a specified period of time in a country has a relevant role in deciding the country’s development and progress in all aspects, especially in the economy.
The Africa Visa Openness Index (AVOI) which is released by African Development Bank (AfDB) and African Union Commission (AUC) jointly registers a drop in rank for Kenya whereas Burundi finds notable progress.
The index released on December 11 on the sidelines of the African Economic Conference 2022 in Mauritius checks how visa friendly are the states for citizens from other African countries. It tracks visa policies adopted by African governments on three main criteria: – visa required before travel, visa on arrival and no visa required. Not requiring a visa has the greatest weightage in the score.
Burundi’s rise into rank 12 from 44 in the 2021 index shows Bujumbura’s active efforts to make all travelers acceptable into the country either on visa-free travel (all East Africans) or visas on arrival (all other Africans). Though the country does not issue e-visas, it assures all Africans of no need of entry permits before travel.
Kenya dropped three places to rank 31 in the 2022 Index which is a new low for the country which was ranked 28 in the prior year. The country which was one of the most welcoming countries in Africa facing this difficulty now is due to the imposition of restrictions in international travels in the covid times. A 9th ranked country in 2018, Kenya now stands as big blockage for businesspeople and holidaymakers from the rest of Africa.
A visa which is a permit to enter, leave, or stay for a specified period of time in a country has relevant role in deciding the country’s development and progress in all aspects especially in economy.
“Allowing businesspeople, investors, tourists, students, and workers to travel across the continent with ease will revitalize African economies and re-energize pan-African unity,” points out the AUC and AfDB recommendations in the report which aim for a speedy recovery of African economy from the pandemic effects.
