Kinshasa: the 16th Zlecaf Council of Ministers strengthens intra-African trade

Kinshasa, April 9^th, 2025 (CPA). – The work of the 16th Council of Trade Ministers of the African Continental Free Trade Area (Zlecaf), scheduled for April 15^th in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), aims to strengthen intra-African trade, CPA has learnt on Tuesday from an administrative source. “The discussions of Kinshasa are seen as a decisive turning point for the implementation of the FTAAP, which aims to strengthen intra-African trade through the free movement of people, goods, services and funds. A roadmap will be drawn up to help each member country make this vast common market a reality », has said Jules Muilu Mbo, General Secretary of Foreign Trade, at a preparatory meeting with the various delegations from the member countries present in Kinshasa. « The time to reduce barriers to trade and investment is now. The importance of developing concrete strategies to meet the challenges of diversifying African economies, notably through regional value chains and appropriate infrastructures », he has added. He has reassured the audience that the removal of tariff barriers would enable DRC to make its products competitive on the market. He has urged economic operators to take advantage of this opportunity, stressing that Zlecaf is an asset for the country. The head of the Executive Secretary of the African Continental Free Trade Area, for his part, has called on the representatives of the countries to work for the effectiveness of this zone, promising a stronger, more prosperous and stable Africa. Technical meetings will continue throughout the week in Kinshasa, marking an important step for the continent’s economic future, he has added. As a reminder, the Congolese Minister in charge of Trade has secured this major meeting in Ethiopia, with more than 44 countries set to gather in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). ACP/