FREE TRADE AGREEMENT MAY BRUISE MW – Malawi News Online

The African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) could be consequential than beneficial by Malawi, as discovered by stakeholders, during the AfCFTA sensitisation meeting jointly organized by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism in partnership with the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the African Union Commission (AUC).

Malawi’s Chief Negotiator, Christina Chatima, revealed that an early assessment by her Ministry and the Treasury revealed that government would lose some revenue in the process. On the other hand, the Director of Administration in the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Joseph Mkandawire, said the AfCFTA is the creation of a pan-African Market that would increase intra-African trade resulting in an increase of African manufacturing exports within Africa and beyond.

Mkandawire said the growth of the manufacturing sector would lead to job creation especially for the youth which would contribute to poverty reduction since 70% of the population in sub-Saharan Africa is below 30 years.

The idea behind the AfCFTA sensitisation meeting is to come and share experiences from different private sector organizations around the three sub-regions of East, Central and Southern Africa and then to come up with decisions on how these issues can be tackled.