Industrialisation policies in pipeline
MBABANE –Eswatini is currently working on industrial policies that will stimulate investments into sectors that are both competitive and labour-intensive.
These policies will be beneficiary to the private sector as they aim to address investment limitations.
This was mentioned by the Africa Union (AU) in a statement yesterday.
The AU Summit will this year focus on industrialisation and economic diversification aims to highlight Africa’s renewed determination and commitment to industrialisation as one of the central pillars in attaining the continent’s economic growth and development goals as articulated in Agenda 2063 and Agenda 2030.
This year, the summit will be hosted in Niger, from November 25, 2022.
The AU said Eswatini should implement national industrial policies that would stimulate investments into sectors that would be both competitive and labour-intensive. “National policies should provide for well-targeted tax incentives that can attract investors and spur job creation. Policy reforms should also reduce tariffs on the importation of essential machinery and equipment that are not locally created,” mentioned AU in the report.
They added that the Ministry
Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade Manqoba Khumalo. of Commerce, Industry and Trade as well as policy makers should commit to priority actions that were critical for driving economic prosperity and job creation through industrialisation.
Affordable
AU said the ministry should improve the business environment to make it easy and affordable to produce goods and services, and to trade.
“African countries can start by adopting AU protocols on free movement, allowing the youth to access markets and compete freely for work and business across national borders,” they added.
The governing body also mentioned that the top priority was for Eswatini to foster investment and trade by operationalising the African Continental Free Trade
Area (AfCFTA) launched in January 2021.
They said trading under the continental free trade pact was launched in January 2021. “Once fully implemented, AfCFTA will create a single African market for goods and services, covering about 1.4 billion people with a combined gross domestic product of more than 2.5 trillion US Dollars across Africa,” they said.
AU said the other priority action was to invest in cleaner infrastructure that supported industrialisation, jobs creation and income generation.
They said the ministry should also expand road and transport networks, which would open up connectivity to rural areas and the regional hinterland.