LUSAKA, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) on Tuesday urged member countries to accelerate the adoption of digital technologies to deepen regional integration.
COMESA Secretary-General Chileshe Kapwepwe said digital technologies offer unprecedented opportunities to overcome bottlenecks associated with regional integration by enhancing productivity, improving infrastructure connectivity, accelerating trade, and empowering small and medium-sized enterprises.
"Digital transformation stands as our greatest catalyst for accelerating progress across all sectors. With our collaborative efforts, we need to ensure that ongoing projects are effectively managed to achieve the intended objectives," she said at the opening of the 46th meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee in Lusaka, the Zambian capital.
The two-day meeting, held under the theme "Leveraging Digitalization to Deepen Regional Value Chains for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth," precedes the COMESA Council of Ministers' meeting on Thursday.
With a population of over 680 million and a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of 1 trillion U.S. dollars, Kapwepwe said that COMESA's economic and demographic strength positions the bloc to help reshape regional trade and investment through innovative digital solutions.
While noting that sectors such as agriculture, agro-processing, and tourism remain central to member economies, the official emphasized the need for the bloc to adapt to an increasingly digital global marketplace. She also urged the use of frontier technologies to reinforce trade-facilitation tools, support intra-regional commerce, expand value chains, and sharpen the region's competitiveness.
Kapwepwe highlighted several ongoing digital initiatives, including the 2.2-billion-dollar COMESA-World Bank Digital Acceleration Program launched this year, which aims to connect 180 million people and deliver digital services to about 100 million people by 2030.
She also cited the COMESA Digital Retail Payment Platform, designed to enable secure, paperless cross-border payments and support the growth of e-commerce.
Zambia's Minister of Commerce, Trade, and Industry Chipoka Mulenga said the meeting's theme challenges countries to reflect on how digital transformation can redefine the region's economic future.
He said recent global shocks have underscored the need to modernize trade systems and advance digital platforms, particularly to empower small-scale traders.
COMESA is Africa's largest regional economic organization with 21 member states. ■