By Qondile Ntiwane | 2021-04-14

The Southern African Customs Union (SACU) has, through its SACU Customs Modernisation Programme, laid the groundwork that will enhance efficiency in their customs operations.

Through this, SACU Member States Customs IT Management Systems are now linked to automatically exchange information.

Making her remarks during a webinar on the implementation of the AFCFTA by SACU member states SACU Executive Chair, Paulina Elago said this was a great milestone and a steppingstone towards enhancing efficiencies.

She explained that the purpose for the webinar was to disseminate information about the implementation of the AfCFTA by the SACU member states, namely Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa. She mentioned that for SACU, the importance attached to the AfCFTA could not be over emphasised.

“The AfCFTA will enable the SACU region and the continent at large to deepen integration, a move that is in line with SACU’s own objectives. For this reason, SACU has placed the implementation of the AfCFTA among its top priorities,” she said.

Elago added that in preparation for start of trading on January 1, SACU had tabled an initial tariff offer comprising around 5988 tariff lines, representing 77 per cent of the SACU tariff book with agreed Rules of Origin, to be liberalised as part of the 90 per cent level of ambition.

ratification

She said this SACU tariff schedule had been published and is already operationalised in all SACU “Member states except Botswana whose ratification process for the AfCFTA is at advanced stage. Currently SACU is working intensely on the remaining work to finalise its tariff offer in accordance with the agreed modalities.

This includes designation of sensitive products and exclusion list,” she said. She added that with such an enormous market presented by the AfCFTA, it was incumbent upon the SACU private sector to seize and capitalise on the opportunities to grow their business through regional value chains and cross border trade.

“Without the participation of the business sector, all these efforts will be meaningless.

In this regard, the SACU council of ministers has agreed to prioritise industrialisation through the development of Regional Value Chains, Export and investment promotion.

“To that end, the region is currently undertaking technical work to outline a systematic approach and practical steps to scale up the region’s industrial base and to strategically positioning itself to take full advantage of the opportunities offered by the AfCFTA,” she said She then called on the private sector, SMEs, youth, and women to seize the opportunity and leverage on the AfCFTA market opportunities to increase trade, attract investment and create employment in the SACU region.

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