Horn of Africa countries move to cut trade barriers, boost regional commerce

NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 5-Trade ministers from the Horn of Africa have moved to remove barriers to cross-border commerce after establishing a regional committee tasked with coordinating reforms to facilitate trade and boost intra-regional economic activity.

Kenya’s Investments, Trade and Industry Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui joined fellow ministers under the Horn of Africa Initiative (HoAI) in signing a joint declaration establishing the HoAI Regional Trade Facilitation Committee in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The new committee will bring together national trade facilitation committees from participating countries to coordinate regional reforms aimed at making cross-border trade more efficient.

“The committee will spearhead the implementation of the five-year HoAI trade facilitation road map as approved by the ministers,” the Trade Ministry said.

The Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry said the committee will facilitate the joint formulation of proposals for regional trade facilitation reforms while promoting the sharing of experiences, best practices and technical expertise among participating countries.

It will also support countries in designing and implementing regulatory procedures, cross-border coordination mechanisms and other measures required to operationalise trade facilitation reforms.

The initiative comes as countries in the Horn of Africa seek to deepen regional economic integration and increase trade among themselves by addressing administrative and regulatory barriers that can make cross-border commerce costly and slow.

According to the ministry, successful implementation of the roadmap will increase intra-regional trade and support broader economic development across the Horn of Africa.

The committee will also provide a platform for participating countries to exchange technical expertise and lessons on the design, implementation and operationalisation of trade facilitation measures.