WINDHOEK, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Namibia will next week launch the national African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Implementation Strategy and Action Plan for 2022 to 2027, the Ministry of Industrialization and Trade (MIT) announced Thursday.
The Namibia AfCFTA National Strategy and Action Plan will guide and drive implementation and will also enable the country to take full advantage of market access opportunities in the continent.
A training workshop on the status of the AfCFTA negotiations and training women and youth entrepreneurs, corporates, and current and potential exporters is also lined up and scheduled to take place on Nov. 22 in Windhoek, Namibia's capital, the ministry said in a statement.
"Part of the implementation of the AfCFTA requires capacity building and training of potential beneficiaries on the opportunities the agreement presents. Due to gender inequality in the continent, women and youth entrepreneurs are faced with challenges of lack of access to information on opportunities in their environment and how to take advantage thereof," the MIT added.
Meanwhile, the MIT said the envisaged workshop will also explore gender-related provisions in trade agreements (global and subregional) and AfCFTA strategies and provide an update on the status of ongoing AfCFTA negotiations to address identified gaps.
Namibia signed the AfCFTA Agreement on July 2, 2018, and deposited the instruments of ratification on February 1, 2019, which means that the country is set to participate in the AfCFTA, enhancing particularly opportunities for economic diversification and value chain development and expansion to achieve economic transformation. ■
