)Namibia needs to improve its manufacturing sector, create value chains inorder to benefit from the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Ms Lucia Iipumbu, the Minister of Industrialisation and Trade of Namibia, made this known on Thursday.
She said an improved manufacturing and creation of value chains would also hasten the creation of jobs as well as align the country to benefit from the expected improved intra-Africa trade relations in the near future created by the AfCFTA.
“This agreement will bring opportunities in value addition and supply of services which are key in creating employment opportunities.
“ The agreement and negotiations of the AfCFTA has an opportunity of opening even more doors for the African continent and will also allow most African countries to close any limitations or challenges that have been faced in the past in improving intra Africa trade,’’ she said.
Iipumbu said the next level of the AfCFTA is now to fine-tune the rules of engagement in terms of tariff relaxation which is expected to start in January when African Ministers of Trade will meet to map the way forward.
The Namibian minister said while AfCFTA is a game changer in terms of opening up the African continent to trade among each other it will take more than just the agreement to be a success.
She called for African countries to push for the operationalisation of the AfCFTA in a manner that creates and saves jobs in the entire continent as well individual countries.
According to Iipumbu, Namibia is currently working on a plan on how to fully implement the AfCFTA in the shortest possible period.
