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Commerce Trade and Industry Minister Christopher Yaluma
Minister of commerce, trade and industry, Christopher Yaluma says government will continue implementing measures aimed at promoting value addition and improving the competitiveness of the country so that local industry can take full advantage of the market access provided through the Tripartite Free Trade Area.
Speaking during a sensitization meeting on the tripartite free trade area in Lusaka, Mr. Yaluma says Zambia continues to work towards meeting the April 2019 deadline for ratifying the TFTA agreement as directed during the seventh meeting of the tripartite Sectoral ministerial committee held on 8th June, 2018 in South Africa.
He says in terms of tariff negotiations, Zambia submitted her offer to the Tripartite Task Force based on the COMESA and SADC acquis.
Mr Yaluma has further disclosed that in terms of progress, three years after the launch of the TFTA, all annexes to the TFTA agreement have been agreed, subjected to legal scrubbing and adopted by the ministerial committee.
He states that so far, about 3,267 Tariff lines, representing 60.6 percent have now been agreed out of a total 5,387 tariff lines.
The Minister says the two day sensitization meeting is very critical as it provides an opportunity for participants to seek clarity on the TFTA before it is formally submitted to cabinet and parliament for consideration.