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Govt sticks to Sadc/Comesa
By
Ayam Maeresa - 27-05-2002 |
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Government has thrown out suggestions that it should consider pulling out of either the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) or the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa).
President Bakili Muluzi, opening the 14th Malawi International Trade Fair (MITF) in Blantyre on Saturday, said it would be folly for a landlocked and poor country to isolate itself from the concept of regional integration that is gathering momentum across sub-Saharan Africa.
Trade consultants said last week that Malawi had no meaningful economic benefits in Sadc. They suggested that the country to withdraw from the bloc and strengthen its position in Comesa instead.
This, however, is in sharp contrast to calls from other quarters of the business community who say Malawi is better off in Sadc than Comesa.
“In fact, it is ignorant to even think of pulling out [of Sadc or Comesa] because the [idea] is to create markets,” said Muluzi.
The president said both trade blocs are of strategic importance to the country. With an estimated 350 million people in Comesa and 190 million in Sadc, Muluzi said both blocs provide an opportune market for the country’s exports.
He said the emergency of other groupings in Africa such as Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) and the newly revived East African Economic Community (EEC) proves Africa’s desire to move towards economic integration which, he said, is the key to most trade problems of most poor countries.
Both Sadc, made up of 14 countries, and Comesa aspire to see a duty-free trade zone and Comesa launched its Free Trade Area (FTA) in October 2000. Out of the 20 members that make up Comesa, nine countries including Malawi included--entered the FTA.
Comesa secretary general Erustus Mwencha told The Nation recently in Zambian capital Lusaka that his organisation was not duplicating anything with Sadc.
Instead, he said, the two organisations were complimenting each other to ensure that their members achieve their economic aspirations.
Angola, Burundi, Comoros, Democractic Republic of Congo (DRC), Djibouti, Egpyt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, Rwanda, Seychelles, Swaziland, Sudan, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe make up Comesa.
On othe other hand, Sadc is made up of Angola, Botswana, DRC, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. |
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