Africa
AfCFTA, WCO sign MoU to enhance trade in Africa
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat and the World Customs Organization (WCO) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at operationalising the tariff schedules and ensuring additional free and efficient movement of goods in Africa. The MoU, which was signed in Brussels, Belgium on 15 February by the secretary-general of the AfCFTA Secretariat, Wamkele Mene and the secretary-general of the WCO, Kunio Mikuriya, is expected to strengthen the organisational capacity, transparency and effectiveness of African customs administrations sustainably, through cooperation between both organisations. The shared goal of both organisations remains to enhance continental trade by eradicating trade barriers through connecting customs systems, populating the AfCFTA tariff book and providing capacity building for customs officials and administration. Mene said that good progress has been made since the establishment of the AfCFTA Secretariat, saying that one major milestone is the ratification of Rules of Origin for 87.7% of tariff headings agreed upon by 41 of its 54 member states.
Source: The EastAfrican
Africa
Six African countries to receive initial transfer of mRNA vaccine technology
Egypt, Senegal, Kenya, South Africa, Tunisia and Nigeria have emerged as the first African recipients of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) technology under the global mRNA technology transfer hub initiative. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, French President Emmanuel Macron, World Health Organization (WHO) director general Tedros Ghebreyesus and European Council president Charles Michel made a joint announcement at the European Union-African Union summit in Brussels. African Development Bank (AfDB) Group president Dr Akinwumi A. Adesina, who has championed African vaccine manufacturing, attended the summit. The announcement marks a major step forward in the development of mRNA vaccine technology in Africa, a goal of the continent’s leaders. Under the initiative’s hub and spoke model, a hub was established in Cape Town, South Africa, made up of Afrigen Biologics, the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) and Biovac, a South African vaccine producer, which is also the programme’s first spoke. Afrigen’s mandate is to establish mRNA vaccine production technology. SAMRC is providing the research, while Biovac is the first manufacturing spoke.
Source: AfDB
Africa / Europe
Historic MoU signed between 12 private sector automotive associations
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed virtually between 12 automotive associations within the ambit of the European Union (EU) – Africa Business Forum 2022 on 16 […]