Thorny issues continue to impede Customs Union dream

A year down and two to go until the open-border Customs Union envisioned for the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) will supposedly become a reality. Officials at last week’s Comesa heads of state conference could only plead with nations to follow up their 2009 pledges and put laws in place that will enable a Euro-like common currency zone that is free of border restrictions. The union will also integrate all nations’ customs operations. 2012 is the date for this to be done. The summit’s final jargon-filled communiqué urged member states to “domesticate” the organ’s “instruments” by gazetting tariff schedules already agreed upon in the body’s Common Tariff Nomenclature (CTN), and implement the provisions of the Customs Management Regulations. However, not a single official or delegate who spoke to FTW would say with absolute certainty that their respective governments would have necessary Comesa-enabling laws in place by deadline time. Governments have also dawdled on signing the investment agreement creating a Comesa Common Investment Area (CCIA). At the summit, delegates were urged in statements from the Comesa Secretariat and official speeches from the rostrum to “work harder” and “work collectively”. On thorny issues thus far impeding regional economic integration, such as the free flow of goods within the union and the collection and distribution of customs’ duties, only the heads of states are seen as capable of breaking deadlocks. However, only four other heads of state joined King Mswati of the host country Swaziland. Mostly lowerlevel officials attended. Of interest to the transportation industry was some progress made by delegates to pave the way for a regional infrastructure conference to be held in Nairobi next month by the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development. “Comesa is increasingly becoming competitive, arising from programmes that assist the development of infrastructure, including energy,” said Comesa secretary general Sindiso Ngwenya. In 2008, intra- Comesa trade amounted to US$13.6 billion.