The Southern African Customs Union (SACU) in Windhoek, Namibia, issued a Media Release, on 24 July, announcing the “Change of the SACU Chairmanship”.
1. South Africa assumed the Chairmanship of the SACU Summit, Council of Ministers and Commission, effective from 15 July 2020 to 14 July 2021, taking over from Namibia. On the same day SACU also marked 110 years of existence as the oldest operating Customs Union in the world.
2. As provided for in the SACU Agreement, 2002 (amended in 2013), the SACU Chairmanship rotates amongst the member states for a period of twelve months in an alphabetical order.
3. The President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, is the Chairperson of the SACU Summit, taking over from the President of Namibia, Dr Hage G. Geingob.
4. The Finance Minister of South Africa, Tito T. Mboweni, has assumed the role of Chairperson of the SACU Council of Ministers, taking over from the Minister of Finance of Namibia, Iipumbu W. Shiimi.
5. Ambassador Xavier Carim, Deputy Director General - International Trade and Economic Development, Department of Trade and Industry of South Africa takes over the Chairmanship of the SACU Commission, from Ms. Ericah Shafudah, Executive Director in the Finance Ministry of Namibia.
6. The Secretariat facilitated the official handover of the Chairmanship of the SACU Commission, the Council of Ministers as well as the Summit to South Africa via a virtual meeting held on 24 July.
7. The Secretariat also facilitated the official handover of the Chairmanship of the SACU Finance and Audit Committee (FAC) to Botswana on 17 July. The Acting Secretary for Economic and Financial Policy in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development of Botswana, Mr. Kelapile Ndobano, is the Chairperson of FAC, taking over from the Deputy Director-General: International and Regional Economic Integration in the Department of National Treasury of South Africa, Ms. Vuyelwa Vumendlini.
8. The next Member State to Chair the Meetings of the SACU Institutions at the end of South Africa’s tenure, will be Botswana from 15 July 2021.
The Media Release is accessible at:
http://www.sacu.int/docs/pr/2020/Press-Release-SACU-Chairmanship-Handover.pdf
Story by: Riaan de Lange