The 57th session of the Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development has called for the immediate and full-scale implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement.
The just-ended 57th session was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with the theme, “Advancing the Implementation of the Agreement Establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area: Proposing Transformative Strategic Actions.”
Speaking at the event, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Claver Gatete, said advancing the full implementation of AfCFTA would help achieve inclusive growth, resilience, and sustainable development across Africa.
Gatete emphasised the need for African countries to focus on market integration, infrastructure development, and industrialisation to boost intra-African trade, drive economic growth, and support the continent’s structural transformation.
He said, “It is certainly a welcome development that AfCFTA-participating countries will remove tariffs on 90 percent of the goods they produce, eliminate other non-tariff barriers, including regulatory bottlenecks to trade, and accelerate economic integration.”
Secretary General of AfCFTA Secretariat, Wamkele Mene, stressed the need for Africa to strengthen investment platforms, boost regional value chains, mobilisedomestic resources, and enhance infrastructure and digital connectivity to unlock the full potential of the AfCFTA.
Mene said, “The immediate implementation of the AfCFTA is crucial in the face of global geopolitical tensions, including the ongoing war in Ukraine and conflicts in the Middle East, which have heightened political uncertainty, restricted investment, and kept interest rates high.”
Stating that 49 African states had already ratified the AfCFTA agreement, Mene said the initiative will promote industrialisation and strengthen value chains in sectors where African countries had historically been raw material suppliers.
The annual conference brought together Africa’s leading economic policymakers, central bank governors, development partners, and private sector representatives to discuss strategies for accelerating trade integration and driving industrialization across the continent.
The African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) also called for tax reforms in Africa, underscoring the importance of harmonised tax systems and revenue-generation mechanisms that would sustain government finances while fostering trade liberalisationto speed up AfCFTA.
ATAF actively participated in the 57th Session of the Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development, which reinforced the urgency of transformative actions to drive the implementation of the AfCFTA.
Participants discussed strategies for strengthening regional integration and unlocking the full potential of intra-African trade.
The conference underscored the critical role of tax and customs policies in ensuring that AfCFTA delivered on its promise of economic transformation.
ATAF emphasised the importance of harmonised tax systems and advocated revenue-generation mechanisms that would sustain government finances while fostering trade liberalisation.
ATAF used the platform to strengthen its collaboration with key continental institutions, including the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), African Union (AU), African Development Bank (AfDB), and Afreximbank.
These partnerships remain essential in advancing tax and customs reforms that align with AfCFTA’ s objectives, ensuring that trade policies are designed to enhance rather than hinder economic integration.
One of the pressing concerns raised at the conference was the financial impact of reducing tariffs under AfCFTA.
Many African governments rely heavily on trade taxes for revenue, making it necessary to explore alternative sources of income. ATAF advocated tax policy reforms that would maintain fiscal stability while promoting trade facilitation.
Discussions focused on optimising domestic taxation to support revenue mobilisation, enhancing digital tax solutions, and strengthening indirect tax measures to ensure sustainable government financing.
The need for improved tax administration and coordination was also emphasised to help countries navigate the evolving trade landscape
ATAF further championed the adoption of enhanced domestic revenue mobilisationstrategies, stressing the importance of strengthening tax administration, broadening tax bases, and harnessing digital solutions to improve tax collection efficiency.
Through its active engagement at the conference, ATAF reaffirmed its commitment working closely with its partners towards shaping effective tax and trade policies that supported AfCFTA implementation and fostered sustainable economic growth across Africa.
Ndubuisi Francis
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