• Honourable Minister of Electricity & Renewable Energy of the Arab Republic of Egypt;
• Representative of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa;
• Representative of the African Development Bank;
• Representative the African Union Development Agency;
• Representatives of African Union Member States;
• Representatives of Specialised Institutions;
• Distinguished Guests;
• Ladies and Gentlemen:
As-salamʿAlaykum
1. On behalf of the African Union Commission and on my own behalf, I would like to extend a warm welcome to all the delegations to the Experts’ Session of the second session of the Specialised Technical Committee on Transport, Transcontinental and Interregional Infrastructure, Energy and Tourism.
2. I thank you Honourable Minister and, through you, convey our gratitude to the Government and people of the Arab Republic of Egypt for partnering with the African Union Commission to organise this important meeting. In the same spirit, I wish to express our appreciation for all the courtesies accorded us and the various delegations since arrival in Egypt.
3. Our meeting over the next few days builds up on the process that started in March 2017 in Lomé, Togo, with the first meeting of the STC. Through strategic leadership and key decisions on infrastructure, transport, energy and tourism, the STC set our agenda for the last two years. The STC’s decisions were packaged into sectoral action plans that the Commission in collaboration with partners and Pan African institutions have been implementing under the guidance of the STC Bureau and sectoral Sub-Committees on Transport, Energy and Tourism.
4. I am pleased to report that, since the last STC, significant progress has been achieved in the three sectors. Most notably, the launch of the Single Africa Air Transport Market (SAATM) in January 2018 was historic as the first AU Agenda 2063 flagship project to be realised. Since then, the membership has grown from the original 23 to 28 Member States and key operational instruments for SAATM and the Yamoussoukro Decision have been developed. More States have expressed interest to join and are being facilitated by the Executing Agency (AFCAC) on procedural matters.
5. SAATM and other infrastructure projects will play a key role as enablers and facilitators of the Continental Free Trade Area, the CFTA, another Agenda 2063 flagship project, which was launched at a special Summit of AU Heads of State in Kigali, Rwanda in March 2018. Infrastructure connectivity and availability of sufficient, reliable, affordable and sustainable energy are key ingredients for maximizing the benefits to be reaped from the CFTA. The Commission is, therefore, laying emphasis on developing SMART infrastructure and provision of energy for productive uses, industrialization and promotion of trade in goods and services among AU Member States. In this context, the theme of this year’s STC has been chosen to be “Developing SMART Infrastructure to Boost Africa’s Continental Transformation and Integration”.
• Honourable Minister;
• Ladies and Gentlemen:
6. The main objective of this year’s STC is to take stock of the implementation of the last STC’s decisions as embodied by the sectoral Action Plans and set the vision for the next two years. This STC meeting is taking place at an interesting time when greater emphasis is being laid to infrastructure development not only at the continental level but at regional and national levels as well. Throughout the continent, major infrastructural projects have been commissioned between now and the last STC in March 2017. Whether it’s a new airport in Dakar in the West or a 300 MW wind farm in the East, major road and rail links in north, central and southern Africa, or energy generation and interconnection projects in various parts of the continent - infrastructure development in Africa is leaving a mark and making a difference in the lives of ordinary people on the Continent.
7. This STC is also taking place at a time when the review of the first Priority Action Plan of the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA PAP 1) is ongoing. This will provide valuable lessons for the next PIDA Priority Action Plan, which is under preparation. PIDA PAP 2 is expected to adopt a corridor approach in defining cross-border projects and prioritize delivery of tangible benefits to the grassroots by embracing new and innovative developmental concepts. It is, therefore, expected that PIDA PAP 2 will build upon PIDA PAP 1 but will also be radically different in the way it addresses pressing needs on the continent including jobs, youth and women, low access to energy and other basic infrastructure among rural communities.
8. Finally, the STC is taking place in the setting of ongoing AU Reforms that will, among others, lead to transformation of the NEPAD Agency into the AU Development Agency (AUDA). The reforms will also streamline the programmes of the Commission and those of the Regional Economic Communities as well as strengthen the working mechanisms between the two levels. This is, certainly, expected to enhance delivery of results with more speed and efficiency. It is, therefore, an exciting time for the Continent as we meet here to make recommendations that will define the path for the next two years for transport, energy and tourism sectors in Africa.
• Honourable Minister;
• Ladies and Gentlemen:
9. The objective of the expert’s session of the STC to review progress in the three sectors from the last STC to date and make recommendations to the Ministers for decisions that will form the Action Plans for 2019 to 2021, when we expect to hold the next STC.
10. The Commission plays a critical coordination role to ensure that the STC decisions are implemented and the collaboration among the key players is enhanced. We will build upon our experience on coordinating the implementation of the last STC Action Plan to do even better by leveraging the synergy of regional organisations, Pan African specialised institutions and Member States to maximise on the areas of their strength, expertise and mandate. Our collective effort is critical.
11. During the period 2017 – 2019, the Commission has coordinated a number of key projects in the three sectors. Please allow me to highlight a few: In the electricity sector, we have made significant strides in the harmonisation of regulatory frameworks to develop a continental market. Following the adoption of the Strategy and Action plan during the Lomé STC, key activities to implement the action plan include the identification of a transmission system tariff methodology through a consultative process involving the key stakeholders in the electricity sector. I am pleased to inform you that this was completed and presented to the STC Sub-committee in March 2018 in Nouakchott. Thereafter, detailed guidelines and monitoring plan were developed. We went a step further to undertake a pilot with two power pools where a computation was developed on real transactions thereby providing much needed capacity building for utilities and regulators in the two regions. We will be requesting the STC to adopt this tariff methodology, its guidelines and monitoring plan.
12. In the geothermal sector, some important milestones have been reached. In June 2017, the Commission signed a partnership agreement with the New Zealand-African Geothermal Facility for a 10 million New Zealand Dollar support under a five-year programme to provide technical assistance and capacity building services to geothermal projects developers and GRMF implementing Member States.
13. Another important milestone is the operationalization of the African Geothermal Centre of Excellence (AGCE) inaugurated in May 2018 in partnership with UN Environment, KenGen and Geothermal Development Company (GDC) in Kenya. So far 20 young engineers (33% of women) from 11 beneficiary countries have been trained at GDC and KenGen training facilities. Other trainings are scheduled in the course of 2019.
14. Going forward, we expect to launch the 6th Application Round (AR) on 2 July 2019 to pave way for awarding additional GRMF grants to existing and new GRMF implementing Member States. The previous five (5) AR have awarded US 117 million to 30 projects that represent an estimate total planned investment of USD 9.2 billion for a planned installed capacity of 2800 MW.
• Honorable Monsieur le Ministre,
• Mesdames et Messieurs,
15. Nous vivons sur un continent très riche et doté d'une variété de merveilles naturelles et des sites ayant une valeur touristique incommensurable sur lequel les hommes et la nature vivent en parfaite harmonie.
16. Par conséquent, nous avons une grande responsabilité de veiller à ce que ces merveilleuses ressources touristiques soient accessibles et profitables à tous de manière efficace et durable.
17. En dépit des perspectives positives du tourisme en Afrique, le continent enregistre moins de 5% des touristes internationaux sur une échelle mondiale. Nous devons prêter une attention particulière aux tendances des marchés régionaux et des pays d’origine des tourists afin d’orienter nos efforts, ajuster nos stratégies commerciales et offres touristiques pour obtenir des meilleurs résultats.
18. Pour relever ces défis, nous travaillons sans relâche à la réalisation de l'objectif principal du tourisme dans le cadre de l'agenda 2063 de l'UA «Faire de l'Afrique la destination préférée» et à la création d'une «Marque Afrique» mondialement reconnue pour les produits et services touristiques africains.
19. Je suis heureux que la CUA, les CERs, les États Membres, les organisations internationales, les ONG et les principales parties prenantes, travaillons en parfaite synergie et nourrissons les mêmes ambitions pour un secteur vital pour le continent tel que le tourisme. Comme convenu lors du CTS de Lomé et du premier sous-comité du tourisme tenu au Kenya, nous mettons conjointement en œuvre les deux priorités à savoir: Le cadre stratégique pour le tourisme africain et l'organisation du tourisme africain.
20. En tant que Commission de l'Union Africaine, nous mettrons tout en œuvre pour offrir le leadership nécessaire. Cependant, j’invite chaque institution, chaque État Membre et chaque partenaire à peser de tout son poids dans cette noble tâche. Cette réunion du CTS constitue donc une étape importante qui guidera toutes les principales parties prenantes à focaliser leurs efforts là où ils auront le plus d’impact.
21. With these few remarks, I thank you all for your kind attention.
