This archive report was first published on 6 August 2020.
On July 29, 2020, COMESA, SADC, and EAC adopted common transport and trade guidelines to facilitate the safe movement of goods and services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The tripartite guidelines aim to contain the pandemic within the three trading blocs and are an opportunity towards the achievement of the Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) signed in 2015.
According to the trade guidelines, member countries will now treat truck drivers who test positive for COVID-19 in the partner country, rather than repatriating the crew to the country of origin.
Speaking during the harmonization of the trade protocols, COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Task Force Chairperson Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax noted that mobility restrictions during the pandemic have resulted in shortages of goods, thus higher cost of doing business.
Dr Tax called for harmonized guidelines for the movement of goods and people to tackle challenges such as stigmatization of truck drivers, which threatens efforts to contain the virus.
The guidelines also urge member states to introduce and enhance the pre-clearance of goods, adapt common surveillance systems for both drivers and trucks, and designate specific points for drivers to recuperate without risking contact with local communities.
