Africa Continental Free Trade Area Penman Notified the Postponement of the AfCFTA’s Enactment Clearance

By Abdul Rahman Bangura–

Great Africa
Photo Credit: AU

NEW AFRICA BUSINESS NEWS ( NABN ) Freetown, Sierra Leone- Wamkele Mene, the scribe of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) disclosed the postponement of the undertaking of the AfCFTA authorization slated for July 1, 2020, recounting the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

“It is obviously not possible to commence trade as we had intended on July 1st, 2020 under the existing conditions. Mene stated.

“I think that’s the credible thing to do. I don’t think it would be appropriate when people are dying to be concentrated on meeting the July 1st, deadline. Rather, all governments should be permitted to direct their efforts on combatting the pandemic and saving lives at home.”

Mene did not publicize the targeted enactment date, but there were healthy suppositions that, the new outset date; might be January 2021. “The political obligation continues, the political will remains to integrate Africa’s market and to implement the agreement as was intended,” he noted.

The AfCFTA was facilitated as having the capability to bring about $3.4 trillion intra-African trade with 1.3 billion people across Africa and consist of the largest new trading federation since the World Trade Organization was established in 1994.

According to the Head, Division of International Economics Relations, Nigeria Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Dr. Efem N. Ubi, the postponement of the take-off date was in order to encourage African countries focus fully on surviving the threat from COVID-19.

“The emphasis should be on strengthening our economy and discern how we can gain a victory the war against COVID-19 by governing what we have. And the most valuable thing for the post COVID-19 economy is for African nations to focus on the kind of pedagogy that will promote science and technology that will traverse the landmass from a primary producer to a manufacturing economy. The focus onward should be science, technology, agriculture and health so that Africans can produce and have things to trade among themselves,” Ubi asserted.

Current Outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19) Disease- Coronavirus advisory information, World Health Organization & United States, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans.

Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people.  Detailed investigations found that SARS-CoV was transmitted from civet cats to humans and MERS-CoV from dromedary camels to humans. Several known coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans.

Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.

Standard recommendations to prevent infection spread include regular hand washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs. Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing. Source- WHO

who.int/emergencies

Coronavirus Q&A, World Health Organization

who.int/news-room

Coronavirus condition overview, World Health Organization

who.int/health-topics

United States, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov