Ecama tips government on Sadc meet
The Economics Association of Malawi (Ecama) has asked Malawi government to take advantage of the forthcoming Southern Africa Development Community (Sadc) meetings and Heads of State Summit to push for outstanding issues crippling Malawi’s trade.
Ecama executive director Nelson Mkandawire said in an interview on Wednesday that it will be timely for Malawi to use such a platform to lobby for improved trade facilitation with other member States as well as pushing for a customs union within Sadc.
The Sadc Heads of State and Government Summit is scheduled to take place from August 10-18 2013 in Lilongwe.
Said Mkandawire: “One key area in Sadc that needs attention during the summit, which is in line with Malawi, is trade facilitation. Some borders operate 24 hours within Sadc whereas some do not. There is need for a re-alignment on this one.”
He also said it will be imperative for Malawi delegates and others to discuss ways of speeding up the realisation of a customs union which has lagged in Sadc for years.
Sadc officially attained a Free Trade Area (FTA) in 2008 which was an initial step towards creating a customs union by 2010, a common market by 2015, a monetary union by 2016 and a single currency by 2018, according to a Sadc FTA programme.
Mkandawire said Ecama is mindful that all member States, including Malawi, have particular interests on most issues being discussed at Sadc level such as the need to protect infant industries.
Currently, Malawi has progressively phased down her tariffs with Sadc, in line with the Sadc Trade Protocol.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Ephraim Mganda Chiume told journalists in Lilongwe two weeks ago that Malawi is poised to reap a lot of economic benefits from the summit, citing the inflow of foreign currency by international dignitaries into the country.
President Joyce Banda is expected to take-over the Sadc chairmanship whereas Minister of Foreign Affairs is poised to assume the role of chairperson for the Sadc Council of Ministers.
Have Malawian economists got any helpful suggestion to help the country? What are economists paid for? How do they help the economy? Just full of making empty headlines. Is it not time we defund and abolish this profession in Malawi? What is the point of this article? Any professional economist cannot be proud given the mess the nation is in despite all the noise.