Trade Hub Supports Preparations for SADC Trade in Services Negotiations in Road Freight Transport and Tourism
01 August 2012
In early April 2012, trade officials agreed to officially commence the process of negotiating commitments under the SADC Protocol on Trade in Services. They hope to conclude the first round of negotiations by April 2015. The primary outcome of these negotiations is expected to be freer trade in services within the SADC region, as each member state legally binds itself to reduce or remove barriers to service providers from other SADC member states, resulting in a more transparent and predictable trade environment for service providers.
Negotiators have adopted an incremental approach to the process and will focus first on the priority areas of transport, financial services, communications and tourism services.
This process requires that a significant amount of preparatory work be undertaken. SADC member states will need to convene consultations with key stakeholders in each sector – including the private sector, regulators of the particular service and the ministries responsible for developing policies for the sector – in order to identify their interests. These consultative processes are intended to provide trade officials with a clear idea of the specific interests and concerns of the major stakeholder groups and will provide important inputs into formulating national negotiating positions.
In light of the significant potential of the trade in services negotiations to enhance regional integration, SATH has supported the preparatory processes. SATH has also launched an initiative to assist SADC member states in consultations with private sector stakeholders in two of the four priority sectors: road freight transport and tourism. The efficient operation of the road freight sector is critical to reducing the cost of trading, and the tourism industry is a significant contributor to the economies of many SADC member states.
SATH's focus on the private sector is driven by the reality that it is the private sector that engages in trade. Trade officials need to be sufficiently aware of the interests and concerns of the private sector in order to successfully argue for commercially meaningfully access to SADC markets. In addition, it is the private sector that encounters the trade barriers maintained by other SADC states, as they attempt to do business across borders.
In partnership with the ministries responsible for trade, SATH held consultations with road freight transport operators in Malawi and Tanzania as well as with tourism operators in Namibia and Tanzania.
Expected outcomes of this initiative will be for SATH to provide the ministries responsible for trade with key information on the barriers that their service providers face in doing business in other SADC markets and recommend options to reduce or remove these barriers. If adopted, changes in these services sectors will go a long way towards achieving a more transparent and predictable regional market for trade in services.
Negotiators have adopted an incremental approach to the process and will focus first on the priority areas of transport, financial services, communications and tourism services.
This process requires that a significant amount of preparatory work be undertaken. SADC member states will need to convene consultations with key stakeholders in each sector – including the private sector, regulators of the particular service and the ministries responsible for developing policies for the sector – in order to identify their interests. These consultative processes are intended to provide trade officials with a clear idea of the specific interests and concerns of the major stakeholder groups and will provide important inputs into formulating national negotiating positions.
In light of the significant potential of the trade in services negotiations to enhance regional integration, SATH has supported the preparatory processes. SATH has also launched an initiative to assist SADC member states in consultations with private sector stakeholders in two of the four priority sectors: road freight transport and tourism. The efficient operation of the road freight sector is critical to reducing the cost of trading, and the tourism industry is a significant contributor to the economies of many SADC member states.
SATH's focus on the private sector is driven by the reality that it is the private sector that engages in trade. Trade officials need to be sufficiently aware of the interests and concerns of the private sector in order to successfully argue for commercially meaningfully access to SADC markets. In addition, it is the private sector that encounters the trade barriers maintained by other SADC states, as they attempt to do business across borders.
In partnership with the ministries responsible for trade, SATH held consultations with road freight transport operators in Malawi and Tanzania as well as with tourism operators in Namibia and Tanzania.
Expected outcomes of this initiative will be for SATH to provide the ministries responsible for trade with key information on the barriers that their service providers face in doing business in other SADC markets and recommend options to reduce or remove these barriers. If adopted, changes in these services sectors will go a long way towards achieving a more transparent and predictable regional market for trade in services.
Activities