President William Ruto made some proposals when he spoke during the closing ceremony of the 24th Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Summit of Heads of State and Government at KICC, Nairobi.
He said, “We call on Africa to work together to increase intra-African trade from the current 14% to 50%, matching other regions that trade at between 60% and 70%. Unlocking trade for the 1.4 billion Africans in the continent would triple demand for our goods, products and services.”
He added, “To achieve this, we must remove visa restrictions that block the free movement of people, ideas, and talent. We must also dismantle tariff and non-tariff barriers that have turned our borders into obstacles instead of bridges.”
Further, he noted, “We must also stop exporting raw materials and instead add value here at home. This will create jobs, build and keep wealth in Africa.”
Earlier, President Ruto accepted
the chairmanship where he took over from President Evariste Ndayishimiye of Burundi.
“Together, we will advance COMESA’s vision of shared prosperity, deeper integration, and true transformation. Let us shape COMESA into a digital, dynamic, and inclusive regional bloc that embodies the promise of a rising Africa.”
Some of the Moments As Captured In Pictures
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