Kgafela engages on AfCFTA

Trade and Investment minister, Mmusi Kgafela and chief negotiator, Phadza Butale are this week in Libreville, Gabon for an extraordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). In a statement on Tuesday, ministry officials said the meeting would continue discussions on protocols for the trade deal’s competition policy as well as investment and intellectual property rights. Earlier this month, Kgafela and Butale were in Ghana to discuss an AfCFTA report from the Committee of Senior Trade Officials. Kgafela and Butale’s trip comes as the country continues negotiations required for it to formally ratify the continent-wide trade deal. Botswana is one of 13 countries left on the continent that are yet to ratify the AfCFTA deal sealed by other countries in 2018 in Rwanda. Botswana signed the 2018 agreement but is still negotiating on the rules of origin, trade in services, and trade in goods.