The COMESA bloc has developed an online portal for member states to exchange information on availability of essential products within the region as part of its strategy to lessen the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. According to COMESA Secretary General, Chileshe Kapwepwe, the platform will connect buyers to suppliers of essential goods thereby promoting and fostering intra-COMESA trade. It is a platform largely meant to support regional trade, during the Covid-19 pandemic. Mwangi Gakunga, Head of Corporate Communications at the COMESA Secretariat, on Monday, July 20, told The New Times that the new tool will enable suppliers in one country link up with buyers in another by uploading the products they have on the platform. Gakunga explained that for it to work, suppliers must be registered companies in their home countries. He said: They will register on the platform and open an account and this will be vetted by the governmental focal points mainly in the ministry that coordinates COMESA activities who will approve and activate the account or advise otherwise. This is to ensure the integrity of the companies allowed to post on the platform. Once the supplier account is activated, he or she can post the products on the platform. The platform will also help small-scale cross-border traders and SMEs to have access to market information and will link producers, sellers and buyers. It comes as the regional bloc noted that measures being implemented by member states such as closing borders to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic are slowing down economic activity and severely impacted cross border trade. “Over the mid-to-long-term, disruption in supply chains could lead to filling of the gap by regional producers and hence the need to strengthen and fully implement the Free Trade Area,” Kapwepwe said. “The successful implementation of the online platform will no doubt be an important step towards realization of COMESA Digital Free Trade Area initiatives.” COMESA’s strategy in combating Covid-19 includes the need to strengthen openness, coordination and collective approach by regional countries in facilitating movement of goods and services amidst restrictive measures. It also involves safeguarding existing trading arrangements as far as liberalization of trade and investments.
