ECA launches reports to advance Africa’s integration and transformation agenda

The joint virtual launch event of the 10th Edition of the Report on “Assessing Regional Integration in Africa (ARIA) X Theme “Africa’s Services trade liberalization and integration under the AfCFTA” and the Report on “Governing the Interface between the AfCFTA and RECs,” took place on 7 December 2021. The launch was on the theme, “Services Trade Liberations and integration within the AfCFTA”.
ARIA X, contains the blueprint for accelerated integration if Africa can take advantage of the promises of services trade on the continent. This point was made when the report was virtually launched on the margins of the 2nd Session of the Committee on Private Sector Development, Regional Integration, Trade, Infrastructure, Industry and Technology.
“Globally, services are playing an increasingly important role in shaping countries’ economies and performance. Overall, the services sector is a major contributor to Gross Domestic Product (GDP), trade, employment, poverty reduction and even Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) and manufacturing, In the specific case of Africa, services have grown tremendously over the recent years and now accounts for significant proportion of economic activities and output,” the statement read on behalf of Stephen Karingi, Director of the Regional Integration and Trade Division (RITD) of ECA said.