South Africa to boost Inter-African trade

South Africa to boost Inter-African trade
Collins Atohengbe, Pretoria

South Africa has said that it will continue to work towards the promotion of trade between African nations as part of its agenda to boost efforts by African nations to become self reliant and able to negotiate with other economies of the world.

The spokesman for the South African President, Mac Maharaj gave the assurance in a telephone interview with Voice of Nigeria in Pretoria.

Mr Maharaj said South Africa’s decision to give greater attention to trade with other African nations was borne from the development agenda of the African Union, AU not because of the crises of euro-zone nations which has been experiencing economic problems for some time now.

“We are following the strategy of accepted by the AU the lets focus on each part of the continent‘s sub regions and particularly South Africa as part of the SADC is looking at how to remove barriers”.

Agreement with other countries

Maharaj said South African government had signed agreements with member nations of the Southern Africa Development community and the countries in the East African community in an effort to establish a free trade zone between countries of both regions.

African Agenda

He said President Jacob Zuma will be attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland with the hope of promoting the African agenda and to demand that solution to Africa’s economic problems should be sought at the same time solution is being proffered for the troubled economies of the developed world.

The spokesman said Africa should develop its infrastructures so as to be in a vantage position as the continent would be hardest hit by the economic problems sweeping through the economies of the developed world.

Cokey