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Five SADC member states have set
the pace in implementing the Trade Protocol, launched in September last year.
By January this year, Botswana,
Lesotho, Mauritius, South Africa and Swaziland had deposited their instruments
of implementation with the Secretariat, a crucial requirement stipulated in the
Trade Protocol, and one that countries need to fulfill as the first stage for
bringing down trade barriers over the agreed eight-year period.
It is hoped that the other countries would follow suit
soon, as the deadline for submission of the instruments is February.
Countries are also expected to give full progress reports
during the SADC Ministers of Trade and Council meetings in South Africa this
month Council meets in Midrand, |
from 18-24 February 2001.
Although member states were given the six months from September to
February to deposit instruments of implementation with the SADC
Secretariat, “they have until August 2001 to implement the Trade Protocol,” according
to information from the Secretariat in Botswana.
However, a number of outstanding issues still remain
such as agreement on certain rules of origin for sensitive products, but it was agreed that
these would not delay the implementation of the protocol. The second phase of the
process of tariff reduction was also set for 1 January 2002.
Meanwhile the Trade Implementation Unit
(TIU), the institutional mechanism approved by trade ministers in September has been set up at the SADC
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Secretariat. The unit’s mandate includes coordinating the day-to-day
operations of the implementation of the Free Trade Area.
The nucleus of the unit is composed of three experts in
trade, customs and trade-related legal matters. These have, however, not been
appointed yet.
As an interim measure, three countries – Lesotho,
South Africa and Zimbabwe – have seconded staff to the Secretariat to carry out the
work of the TIU.
By the end of January, the three
seconded officials had taken up their assignments and were already
communicating with all stakeholders in an effort to monitor the progress made
by individual members in implementing their commitments under the Trade
Protocol. |
