Kenya signs free-trade agreement with Ethiopia
CHARI SUCHE-KNA
Kenya and Ethiopia have agreed to collaborate to implement the African Continental Free Trade Area(ACFTA).
The two parties, rep resented by senior government officials of the respective governments, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to fast-track the implementation ACFTA between them on a simplified trade regime.
Speaking in Mombasa, the Cabinet Secretary for In vestments, Trade and Industry, Lee Kinyanjui, said the government wants to fast track trade at the border following continued challenges within the border communities living in Moyale.
Kinyanjui said there have been significant challenges, thus the need for the agreement, hoping to ensure that communities living within the border can trade freely.
“We are emphasizing that within the bigger scope of things Kenya and Ethiopia will be looking for ways in which we can implement free trade so that goods produced here or Ethiopia can come and people can work anywhere in the two countries not forgetting tourism in Mombasa and many other things that will boost our economy,” he said.
The CS assured the public that the government will continue to engage with neighboring countries to make sure there is a good trading environment for the people.
He noted that Ethiopia has critical goods that Kenya needs, also having finished industrial products that are useful to Ethiopia.
He added that Kenyans should be encouraged to in vest to reap the benefits of the signed partnership be tween the two countries. Kinyajui said the government has invested in infra structure to make trading easy.
Ethiopian Minister of Trade and Regional Integration Kassahun Gofe underscored the concluding of the negotiations to kick start the implementation of the simplified trade regime and accelerate trade between border communities in the two countries.
Gofe said the meeting considered two key out standing issues which include areas of border trade, trading threshold, travel frequencies and the common list of product ice.