BITC to provide AfCFTA online training
Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC) has put out a call to local companies to participate in an online training programme on how to export to the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
AfCFTA is a trade agreement that connects 1.3 billion people across 54 African countries, with a combined gross domestic product valued at US$3.4 trillion. Slated for the 12th to the 26th February, the training will focus on opportunities offered by the intraAfrica trade, getting business ready for export, researching on African markets, developing an African market, market access conditions, financing for intraAfrican trade, intra-Africa logistics and standards under the AfCFTA. “The objective of the programme is to prepare companies to take maximum advantage of the intra-Africa trade,” said BITC in an expression of interest call made this week. The training is being organised by BITC in collaboration with the International Trade Centre under the framework of Botswana Exporter Development Programme (BEDP). Some of Botswana’s recent achievements in promoting free trade include signing
and ratifying the Africa continental Free Trade Area Agreement, a step towards harmonization of a number of trade policies and the use of National Identity for border crossing between Botswana and Namibia. Government has reiterated that AfCFTA offers a unique opportunity for investment and business growth in Botswana and across the African continent. In addition, the authorities said the trade agreement also recognises the need to build and improve the export capacity of both formal and informal services providers with particular attention to Small Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) in which women and youth actively participate, citing that the development of SMMEs remains pivotal to national development efforts.