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Business Reporter
THE Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) has developed an online portal for use by member States to facilitate electronic trading in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Formed in 1994, Comesa is a 21-member trading bloc including Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Namibia, Swaziland, Kenya, Egypt, Rwanda, Tunisia, Djibouti and others. 

The trading bloc said in a statement that the e-trading platform had been developed to assist the region in exchanging information on availability of essential products.

“This is in response to a directive issued by the Comesa Council of Ministers in May this year to develop the platform to support regional trade, during the Covid-19 pandemic,” it said.

Comesa secretary general Ms Chileshe Kapwepwe launched the e-trading platform prototype during a virtual meeting that was attended by representatives from member States last week.  

It is hope that the focal points will coordinate with the private sector in populating the platform with information on essential supplies. 

This is expected to boost local production and address shortages in supply from outside the region. Ms Kapwepwe was quoted as saying  the platform will enable member States to share information on availability of products and their potential to produce and supply all different types of goods. 

It will connect buyers to suppliers of essential goods thereby promoting and fostering regional intra-Comesa trade.

As part of the roll out and implementation of the platform, the Comesa secretariat conducted a training programme considering that multiple stakeholder use is needed to make it versatile, functional and sustainable.

“Over the mid-to long-term, disruption in supply chains could lead to filling of the gap by regional producers and hence the need to strengthen and fully implement the Free Trade Area,” she said. 

Ms Kapwepwe said the platform will also help small-scale cross-border traders and Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to have access to market information and linking producers, sellers and buyers. 

She noted that measures being implemented by member States such as closing borders to prevent the spread of the pandemic are slowing down economic activity and have severely impacted cross border trade.

Ms Kapwepwe said the implementation of the Digital Trade Facilitation programme and other instruments and the liberalisation of services remained core to strengthening the stability of the Comesa region against external shocks.

“The successful implementation of the online platform will no doubt be an important step towards realisation of Comesa Digital Free Trade Area initiatives,” she said.

Comesa’s strategy in combating Covid-19 include the need to strengthen openness, coordination and collective approach by member States in facilitating movement of goods and services amidst restrictive measures, and safeguarding the existing trading arrangements and avoid erosion of gains already made as far as liberalization of trade and investments.