This archive report was first published on 15 May 2020.
On Thursday, the COMESA Council of Ministers convened an extraordinary virtual meeting to approve a harmonized set of regional guidelines for facilitating the movement of goods and services across the region during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The meeting brought together ministers in charge of coordinating COMESA activities at the national level, who underscored the need for an online platform to exchange information on essential products within the COMESA Member States during and after the pandemic period.
According to COMESA Secretary General Chileshe Kapwepwe, the regional guidelines are critical for a coordinated and harmonized response to the pandemic, ensuring that collective efforts reinforce each other.
"The impact of COVID-19 has made it clear that as a region, we need to strengthen and integrate regional policies to take into account the adverse social-economic and political impacts and to develop strategies to support and facilitate quick recovery of our economies," she said.
The guidelines aim to address disruptions in the regional supply of essential goods, attributed to diverse COVID-19 measures being applied in Member States. They cover facilitation of cross-border movement of relief and essential supplies, transportation of goods, and regulation and control of trucks/vehicles, aircraft, and vessels carrying essential goods and services.
Additionally, the ministers approved a reduction of 10% of the Secretariat budget, following suppressed activities as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and agreed to ease export/import restrictions to facilitate movement of pharmaceutical and other essential goods, as well as free movement of health professionals across the region.
Published on May 15, 2020, at 1:22 PM EAT.
