National Trade Tariff indaba kicks off
THE National Trade Tariff Conference kicks off today in Bulawayo with a focus on unpacking Zimbabwe’s trade agreements and benefits that accrue from these to local businesses.
The conference is being hosted by the Competition Tariff Commission of Zimbabwe (CTC) and would assist local industry players to appreciate trade agreements and how they can exploit available opportunities.
According to a preliminary event update, key speakers will be drawn from regional and international organisations such as the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Trade Law Centre, Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, Professionals Business Association of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce and Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries.
Industry and Commerce Minister, Dr Sekai Nzenza, is expected to officially open the conference tomorrow, while Bulawayo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Judith Ncube and UK Ambassador to Zimbabwe will also grace the event.
Zimbabwe is a signatory to several trade agreements at regional and multilateral levels. These include agreements under the Southern African Development Community (Sadc), Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa), European Union-Eastern and Southern African Economic Partnership Agreements, United Kingdom-Eastern and Southern African Economic Partnership Agreements (UK-ESA EPA), World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the recent African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
“To maximise benefits from these agreements, it is critical that local industry be informed of their dictates including tariff issues, unfair trade practises, rules of origin, standards, export opportunities, trade facilitation, resources mobilisation potential benefits, threats and mitigatory measures available,” said the commission.
The conference is envisaged to assist local industry and commerce to tap into the ensuing opportunities, planning of future production and attendant future investment requirements.
CTC said the country could derive maximum benefits from the trade agreements as well as receive information on available export opportunities, in line with the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1).
“NDS1 outlines the country’s strategies, policies, legal and institutional reforms and the programmes and projects that will be implemented over the five-year period, to realise the country’s Vision 2030,” it said.
“Pursuant to the objectives of NDS1 and ensuring that local industry takes advantage of the existing trade agreements, the conference is being organised to conscientise industry of existing trade agreements Zimbabwe is party to and how best these can be exploited for the country’s benefit.”
The Commission said it received complaints from companies based in Bulawayo during the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) who said they were uninformed on treaties and could not exploit them.
ZITF
They also said they were unaware of the relevant institutions that deal with various issues related to the implementation of trade agreements.
As part of the objectives of the conference, CTC said it will sensitise local industry on existing trade agreements, categorisation of products and phasing of liberalisation of tariffs under the Sadc, Comesa, EU-ESA EPA, UK-ESA EPA and AfCFTA agreements.
CTC is a statutory body under the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and established through the Competition Act (Chapter 14:28). Its mandate is to promote and maintain fair competition and trade practises in Zimbabwe. It administers competition policy and law and trade tariffs policies in the country. — chronciel.cozw
