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The Minister of State, Minister of Trade, Supply and Consumption, Alphonse Claude N'SILOU, exchanged on August 25, 2020 in Brazzaville, in a room of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, with his counterpart of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Minister of Foreign Trade, Jean Lucien BUSA. This meeting took place in the presence of the Advisors of the Minister of State and the Special Advisor in charge of investment of the President of the Republic, Félix Antoine TSHISÉKEDI TSHILOMBO. It focused on free movement and trade between both countries.
The joint meeting between the two Trade Ministers is part of the close relations and economic growth between the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in order to bring about important reforms. These reforms can be explained on the one hand, by the election of the President of the Republic of Congo, Dénis Sassou N'guesso at the head of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), and on the other hand, by that of the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Félix Antoine Tshisékedi Tshilombo at the head of the African Union (AU), from 2021 in order to operationalize the African Continental Free Trade Area (FTAA).
The operationalization of the free trade area will help meet challenges such as trade and investment facilitation; the removal of non-tariff and tariff barriers; the lifting of trade restrictions and the fight against import and export fraud. "I came to Brazzaville to put in place its tools that will enable us to trade without problems and ensure the fluidity of trade between the two countries. We talked about the possibility of signing very quickly during this month the bilateral trade memorandum of understanding between our two countries that will allow us to answer all the questions that arise on the trade front," said the Minister of Foreign Trade of the DRC, Jean Lucien Busa.
Given that the countries of the world develop when there is free trade, the operationalization of these reforms will generate job creation, which will benefit both economies". Our country must move beyond the stage of a transit country, it must become a producing and exporting country. Producer of first quality products from several sectors in order to diversify our economy. When we become a producer and exporter country, we need outlets," said the Minister of State, Minister of Trade, Supply and Consumption, Alphonse Claude N'SILOU.
In Africa, there are 5 regional economic zones. Congo Brazzaville and the DRC are members of ECCAS, including 9 other countries in the sub-region. ECCAS member countries must ensure the free movement of capital, goods and persons. "There is an unprecedented opportunity that can be seized because the Congolese Head of State has received a mandate from his peers, because of his dynamism to bring about the necessary reforms that will make ECCAS dynamic and efficient, like other regional economic communities, Another unprecedented opportunity is the fact that President Felix Antoine TSHISÉKEDI is also the President of the African Union from next year," hammered the Minister of State, Minister of Trade, Supply and Consumption, Alphonse Claude N'SILOU.
Among the products that will be exported from Congo are cement and flour.
This very constructive, fraternal and fruitful meeting enabled to determine the effective date of the continental free trade zone, set for January 1, 2021.
The Minister of State, Minister of Trade, Supply and Consumption, Alphonse Claude N'SILOU, exchanged on August 25, 2020 in Brazzaville, in a room of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, with his counterpart of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Minister of Foreign Trade, Jean Lucien BUSA. This meeting took place in the presence of the Advisors of the Minister of State and the Special Advisor in charge of investment of the President of the Republic, Félix Antoine TSHISÉKEDI TSHILOMBO. It focused on free movement and trade between both countries.
The joint meeting between the two Trade Ministers is part of the close relations and economic growth between the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in order to bring about important reforms. These reforms can be explained on the one hand, by the election of the President of the Republic of Congo, Dénis Sassou N'guesso at the head of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), and on the other hand, by that of the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Félix Antoine Tshisékedi Tshilombo at the head of the African Union (AU), from 2021 in order to operationalize the African Continental Free Trade Area (FTAA).
The operationalization of the free trade area will help meet challenges such as trade and investment facilitation; the removal of non-tariff and tariff barriers; the lifting of trade restrictions and the fight against import and export fraud. "I came to Brazzaville to put in place its tools that will enable us to trade without problems and ensure the fluidity of trade between the two countries. We talked about the possibility of signing very quickly during this month the bilateral trade memorandum of understanding between our two countries that will allow us to answer all the questions that arise on the trade front," said the Minister of Foreign Trade of the DRC, Jean Lucien Busa.
Given that the countries of the world develop when there is free trade, the operationalization of these reforms will generate job creation, which will benefit both economies". Our country must move beyond the stage of a transit country, it must become a producing and exporting country. Producer of first quality products from several sectors in order to diversify our economy. When we become a producer and exporter country, we need outlets," said the Minister of State, Minister of Trade, Supply and Consumption, Alphonse Claude N'SILOU.
In Africa, there are 5 regional economic zones. Congo Brazzaville and the DRC are members of ECCAS, including 9 other countries in the sub-region. ECCAS member countries must ensure the free movement of capital, goods and persons. "There is an unprecedented opportunity that can be seized because the Congolese Head of State has received a mandate from his peers, because of his dynamism to bring about the necessary reforms that will make ECCAS dynamic and efficient, like other regional economic communities, Another unprecedented opportunity is the fact that President Felix Antoine TSHISÉKEDI is also the President of the African Union from next year," hammered the Minister of State, Minister of Trade, Supply and Consumption, Alphonse Claude N'SILOU.
Among the products that will be exported from Congo are cement and flour.
This very constructive, fraternal and fruitful meeting enabled to determine the effective date of the continental free trade zone, set for January 1, 2021.
