A Quick Notice: Key Observations about AfCFTA and AfCFTA Secretariat

1. The rules of origin is about 80% ready. By January 2021, party states would work with the 80% while time is allowed for the 20%.

2. It is also worthy to note that countries that have not ratified nor submitted their letters of ratification would undergo a special application process in order to benefit from the trading, come January 2021.

3. There is the need for party states to set up national coordinating offices within the AfCFTA Secretariat or at their respective countries, in order to facilitate the interactions of their citizens, private sector dealings with the AfCFTA Secretariat, which has been accorded a diplomatic status.

4. The current AfCFTA Secretariat needs to be fully autonomous, this is because, due to budget constraint, incomplete management and operationalization structures the secretariat still leans on the department of Trade and Industry at the African Union Commission.

5. There is the need for the European Union and US to fully recognize the AfCFTA agreement and channel their bilateral and multilateral trade agreement through the AfCFTA Secretariat which is not so as at now.

6. The Secretary General of AfCFTA should be allowed time to recruit staff without pressured recommendations.

7. AfCFTA Policy Network recommends that, come December 2020 at the Heads of States summit of the African Union, all countries should have ratified various schedules on the 10%, schedules of priority product and sectors should have been ready.

Louis yaw afful

Executive director afcfta policy network group