Thursday, July 17, 2025
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Desiderio Consultants Ltd. is a think tank and a network of independent professional international development consultants established to promote and influence customs & trade-related policies in African nations to achieve trade facilitation reforms aimed at improving international and regional trade
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African Diaspora as a catalyst for infrastructure development in Africa

A report from the Africa Europe Foundation titled “The Missing Connection: Unlocking Sustainable Infrastructure Financing in Africa”, describes the current infrastructure gaps in Africa and the opportunities offered by the Africa-Europe partnership to develop new forms of financing for their development. Launched in South Africa at the 5th Finance in Common Summit (26-28 February), in association with South Africa’s Presidency of the G20, the report concludes that the financial resources that African governments commit every year for the development of infrastructure on the continent are barely sufficient to cover half of the Africa's total infrastructure needs, estimated between 130 and 170 billion dollars per year. In addition, about 35% of these resources comes from both multilateral and bilateral donors, with the World Bank Group and China at the top, which raises doubts about their sustainability in the long period.

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Uncertainty over future of AGOA poses a risk to investments in Africa

An interesting article published on Semafor expresses skepticism regarding the future of the African Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA), a trade deal that offers eligible sub-Saharan African countries duty-free access to the United States (US) market. AGOA operates in an asymmetric way: the US open its market to a certain number of products originating from selected African States, without a similar obligation for beneficiary countries to open their markets to US-originating products. However, access to the AGOA does not come without a price. Beneficiary countries are required to meet a set of strict conditions to qualify to trade under the programme. Among them, there is the requirement to put in place a market-based economy that protects private property rights, to develop an open rules-based trading system, and to minimize government interference in the economy through measures such as price controls, subsidies, and government ownership of economic assets. In addition, beneficiary countries are required to remove any barrier to US trade and investment, to protect internationally recognised human rights, and to adopt mechanisms aimed at combatting corruption and bribery.

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WTO finalizes the forth trade policy review of Madagascar

The World Trade Organization (WTO) Secretariat has completed the review of the trade policies and practices of Madagascar. This is the fourth review since the country accessed to the WTO, on 17 November 1995. All members of the Organization have their trade policy periodically reviewed, the frequency of which varies depending on a country’s share of world trade. The trade policies review of Madagascar depicts a situation of a country whose potential is high, particularly in the agriculture, mining and tourism sectors, as well as in the textile industry. However, the challenges are equally important: high exposure to climate shocks (mainly droughts and cyclones) and an infrastructure which is in a very poor state -particularly roads and electrical grid - represent significant barriers to the economic growth and trade of the island.

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Time Release Study (TRS) for the North-South corridor presented in Harare

On 7th February 2025 the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) officially presented a Time Release Study (TRS) that analyses the main trade barriers along the North-South Corridor, a main import and export route connecting Southern Africa to parts of East and Central Africa. The study assesses the average time taken for the clearance of goods at the Durban port (where this route starts), as well as at the various border posts crossed by this corridor, including at Kasumbalesa, Beitbridge and Chirundu.

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Africa does not need an ‘imperfect’ continental Customs Union

An article published on the Trade Unions and Trade in Africa website, a web platform developed by the International Trade Union Conference-Africa (ITUC-Africa) jointly with the Labour Research Service (LRS), and the Trade Union Solidarity Centre of Finland (SASK), analyses the prospects of the possible evolution of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) into a continental Customs Union to advance the economic integration process in Africa.

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