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Michael Makuza, Business Reporter

LOCAL industries have been urged to take full advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) agreements that avail a wider market and upgrade their products to be competitive.

AfCFTA

Zimbabwe is a signatory to several trade agreements at regional and multilateral levels. These include agreements under Sadc, Comesa, European Union-Eastern and Southern African Economic Partnership Agreements, United Kingdom-Eastern and Southern African Economic Partnership Agreements (UK-ESA EPA), World Trade Organisation (WTO) and AfCFTA.

Speaking at the inaugural Trade Tariff Conference in Bulawayo on Wednesday, Competition Tariffs Commission (CTC) assistant director Mr Isaac Tausha said the signing of the AfCFTA is an opportunity for the local industries to access a wider market and also access affordable raw material.

Comesa

“There is a need for the players to upgrade product quality and also adjust the cost of doing business so that we produce affordable products that can compete in the international market,” said Mr Tausha.

“That is why we have brought other trade facilitation organisations such as the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority ( Zimra) and the Standard Association of Zimbabwe (SAZ) so that they can share more information on how local industries can take advantage of these agreements and access them competitively.”

CTC is hosting the Trade Tariffs Conferences which is running under the theme: “Unpacking Zimbabwe’s Trade Agreements and Benefits that can Accrue to Local Industry”.

Its objective is for industry to appreciate trade agreements and how they can benefit them.

CTC is a statutory body under the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and established through the Competition Act [Chapter 14:28]. Its mandate is to promote and maintain fair competition and trade practices in Zimbabwe. It administers competition policy and law and trade tariffs policies in the country.