Cape Town, South Africa, 5 February 2018 – On the margins of the African Mining Indaba, the African Union Commission, Department of Trade and Industry organized a High level dialogue on Regional Mineral Value Chains in the Context of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The main aim of the dialogue was to provide an opportunity to reflect on prospects that the AfCFTA could provide to foster investments in regional mineral value chains. The dialogue also explored ways through which the AfCFTA can be instrumental in strengthening inclusive and sustainable regional mineral value chains.

Addressing the invitees, the Commissioner for Trade and Industry, H.E Amb Albert Muchanga welcomed the participants to the High level Ministerial Dialogue and recalled the recently important decisions made by the assembly of Heads of State and government related to the AU flagship projects and the implementation of the African Union Agenda 2063. He said “The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) with a combined population of over 1.2 billion people will be the world’s largest free trade area by population and geographical spread. Coupled with Africa’s abundant mineral resources, trade liberalization and market integration under the AfCFTA will provide enormous vocational advantages for mining and manufacturing companies who will produce intermediate and finished mining products”. H.E Amb Albert Muchanga added that “the development of regional mineral value chains in Africa can rapidly accelerate as investors decided to take advantage of this emerging market with huge growth potential”.

The DTI flagship projects will also contribute to the implementation action plan of Boosting Intra-African Trade (BIAT)-the operational arm of the AfCFTA specifically in the clusters of trade policy, trade facilitation, productive capacity, trade related infrastructure; and factor market integration.

The session among others helped in increasing engagements with governments, private sector and other stakeholders in deepening inclusive and sustainable regional mineral value chains. In addition the dialogue identified strategies for strengthening African governments’ capacities to plan, develop and implement programmes and incentives to support the integrated development of inclusive and sustainable regional mineral based economic linkages and it will recommend specific initiatives regarding mineral based regional value chains as part of the dialogue on the AfCFTA Architecture.

The session was attended by Ministers of mines from Ethiopia, Mali, Namibia, representatives from the private sector and different international organizations. The panel included, H.E Amb Albert Muchanga, AUC Commissioner for Trade and Industry, H.E Dr. Koang Tutlam (Amb), State Minister of mines from Ethiopia (Representing the Government), Mr. Sulemanu Koney, CEO of the Ghana Chamber of Mines (Representing private sectors) and was moderated by Mr. Paul Msoma from the African Union Commission/AMDC.

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For further information, please contact Mr. Frank Mugyenyi, Sr. Industry Advisor to the Commissioner, E-mail: MugyenyiF@Africa-union.org

Media contacts:

Meaza Tezera, Department of Trade and Industry – Tel: + 251 912120442 - Email: Meazat@africa-union.org

Esther Azaa Tankou, Head of Information Division, Directorate of Information and Communication, AUC Tel. +251 911361185, E-mail: yamboue@africa-union.org

For further information: Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I E-mail: DIC@african-union.org I Web Site: www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia

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