Kinshasa, July 4th, 2021 (CPA). – Questions relating to new progress in negotiations within the African Continental Free Trade Area (ZLECAF) have been brought to the attention of President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, President in office of the African Union, during the exchanges he had, on Saturday, at the Cité of the African Union, with the Secretary General of this organization, Wankele Mene.
The Secretary General of ZLECAF, led to the Head of State by the Minister of Foreign Trade, Jean-Lucien Busa, said he had come to present to the Chairman-in-Office of the AU a report on new progress negotiations within the ZLECAF and decide on subjects which will enable Heads of State and sectoral ministers to set the date for signing the agreements resulting from them.
President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi, whose determination Wankele Mene appreciated to develop this continental economic organization, also examined, with his host, the modalities of moving these negotiations forward, with a view to rapidly promoting trade in Africa.
The DRC in order of battle within the ZLECAF
For his part, the Minister of Foreign Trade, Jean-Lucien Busa, indicated that the DRC is in order of battle within the ZLECAF, President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi having already signed, on April 14, the ordinance ratifying these agreements, and already set up the National Committee to monitor this free trade zone.
The DRC already has a list of more than 6,000 products to be liberalized, with 3% of exclusion products, especially in cement factories and palm oil mills, said Jean-Lucien Busa, adding that the country has also submitted its tariff offers which have been accepted because they comply with the provisions of the ZLECAF.
For the moment, he concluded, on the DRC side, the General Directorate of Customs and Excise (DGDA) is working on ZLECAF tariffs.
ZLECAF, a large market opening up for the country
In addition, the last work of the ZLECAF Tariff Commission, which ended Thursday, July 1 in Kinshasa, recommended that the government finalize the integration of the Democratic Republic of the Congo into this continental structure, by depositing the instruments of ratification to the Commission. of the African Union (AU), and advocated the adhesion of the country to the facilitation mechanism recognized by the AU.
Therefore, the Congolese government, decided to support economic operators called upon to be competitive vis-à-vis this large market which is opening up to them, in particular invited the DGDA to train its agents and executives on the ZLECAF tariff. and on the rules of origin applicable in the context of trade in the African community, in order to secure public revenues.
“The new customs tariff, which has just been validated, is of particular importance for the DRC at this precise moment. Once enacted, it will, among other things, allow customs to efficiently collect customs taxes in the context of free trade. It will be the instrument that will allow our country to participate effectively in the reference exchanges of the ZLECAF launched since January 1, 2021, subject to reciprocity ”, declared Interim Director General of the DGDA, Jean Baptiste Nkongolo Kabila, afterwards. of said work.
In addition, to demonstrate once again the importance that the country attaches to the ZLECAF, its Secretary General, Wamkele Keabetswe Mene, recently committed to support the Democratic Republic of Congo in the realization of the construction project of «Port Sec”of Kasumbalesa, located 90 kilometers from the city of Lubumbashi, in the province of Haut-Katanga.
The Dry Port of Kasumbalesa, estimated at 300 million US dollars, which will be developed over 63 hectares, for a capacity of 1,000 to 1,200 heavy vehicles or Trucks, will facilitate the connection of the DRC’s trade with other countries. « .
Secretary General Wamkele Keabetswe Mene enhanced his presence at the International Conference focused on the implementation of the Free Trade Area, recently organized in Kinshasa, by the Union of African Shippers’ Councils (UCCA) and the Office de management of Multimodal Freight (OGEFREM), under the high patronage of the Head of State Félix Tshisekedi Tshilombo, it is recalled. ACP/