Addis Ababa, 19 March 2025 (POA) — According to Stephen Karingi, who leads the UNECA Regional Integration and Trade Division, specialized economic zones along with investments in areas such as farming, air travel, and transportation infrastructure will help Ethiopia maximize opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Talking with ENA, the director mentioned that The involvement of Ethiopia in continental integration is extensively chronicled, particularly in promoting the AfCFTA.
With the AfCFTA, the country is well-positioned to benefit from the continental free trade zone, he noted.
Karinhi indicated that Ethiopia has made significant strides in formulating its national AfCFTA implementation strategy, encouraging other nations to establish their own national mechanisms for implementation as well.
As per his statement, the development of special economic zones along with investments in areas like aviation, agriculture, and transportation would enable Ethiopia to capitalize on the opportunities presented by AfCFTA.
If you examine the special economic zones along with the investments in aviation, rural infrastructure, and transportation sectors, all of these developments place Ethiopia in a highly advantageous or leading position to maximize the benefits of the AfCFTA.
The country’s economic zones have the potential to meet the demands of Ethiopia's sizable domestic market and could also benefit from the 1.5 billion consumers within the continent through leveraging their skills and resources, as he explained.
Karingi thinks that Ethiopia’s economic investments over the last fifteen years serve as a prime example, and he encourages other African countries to shift from controlled trade policies towards broader trading practices.
This change is crucial for unlocking the complete potential of the AfCFTA, demonstrating an increasing trust in the nation’s capability to manage the intricacies of the continental free trade zone and take advantage of the opportunities it presents, he noted.
From a strategic perspective, I believe that the investments made over the past 10 to 15 years have positioned Ethiopia well enough to encourage everyone to reduce tariffs. This would facilitate our transition from a guided trade initiative to unrestricted trading under the AfCFTA.
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