The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) is creating an internet “gate” to facilitate trade and promote economic integration of African States.
The website portal would provide information on African states, work environment, companies and their services, products and tenders.
Dr Sherif Amin Elkhoraiby, Chairman of the trade and marketing Group made this known on Sunday at the 45th Training Course for Young African Journalists in Cairo, Egypt.
The training course is under the auspices of the Union of African Journalists (UAJ) and aimed at promoting ideas and experience sharing towards finding solutions to challenges facing the Continent.
Dr Elkhoraiby said the platform was to promote inter-state trade and help the Continent present a united front to compete favourably in the international market.
He noted that a large proportion of products imported into the Continent were produced locally and was hopeful that the portal would break all trade barriers, saying: “This is the only way to have a voice for the world to listen.”
Dr Elkhoraiby said Africa is currently the only Continent with huge natural resources and underscored the need for such resources to be used judiciously within the Continent for rapid socio-economic development.
He said Egypt had taken the lead by importing red meat, coffee and other products from countries on the Continent and challenged other states to do same.
“No power in the world can impose anything on Egypt. It must be done diplomatically. We must be proud of Africa and trade among ourselves. This is the vision for all African brothers,” Dr Elkhoraiby stated.
He advised geographically close nations to form economic unions and open their physical borders to further promote trade.
Dr Elkhoraiby called for good faith among the nations and urged the media to create awareness and push for immediate economic integration in Africa.
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