This archive report was first published on 10 December 2019.
On December 10, 2019, Dr Mukhisa Kituyi, Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, emphasized the importance of open borders in Africa's future growth.
Africa's youth are eager to explore opportunities beyond their borders, and businesses are keen to access markets within the continent, but they face numerous barriers, including tariff-based and non-tariff trade restrictions.
Dr Kituyi noted that African countries have limited trade among themselves, with more trade and links with countries outside the continent. He urged African nations to encourage their youth to forge more foreign links with other African countries rather than with distant Western nations.
Businesses in Africa face numerous barriers, including tariff-based and non-tariff trade restrictions, which hinder their ability to conduct trade smoothly. To address this, regional agreements need to be implemented effectively, and countries need to be held accountable for breaching these agreements.
One of the key tariff barriers is the imposition of taxes on imports, with some countries having high tariffs that prevent businesses from operating. African nations should harmonize these tariffs or remove them altogether to encourage trade within the continent.
Furthermore, the continent lacks good infrastructure linking one country to another, making it easier to export goods to Europe or Asia than to other African nations. To address this, African countries need to improve their road, rail, and air networks.
Another challenge in continental trade is the presence of similar goods, mainly raw commodities. This presents an opportunity for African countries to pursue value addition and have more differentiated exports that would encourage more trade within Africa.
