Fish associations told to focus on Continental Free Trade

 Luanda – Angolan minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources Carmen Sacramento Neto said Tuesday in Luanda that the Executive will promote the work of women fishing associations to increase the quality of products, as part of the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Speaking to ANGOP, the official defended the improvement of the organisation of the women processors' associations, to allow exporting the products to the countries of the continent.

“It is with more work that we will enter the possibility that the Free Trade Zone gives us, of exporting the result of processing carried out with mastery. As a Ministry, we will encourage this quality to take to neighboring countries”, she said.

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) represents a huge opportunity for African countries to lift 30 million people out of extreme poverty and to increase the incomes of another 68 million who live on less than $5.50/day.

With the implementation of the AfCFTA, trade facilitation measures, which reduce red tape and simplify customs procedures, would generate about US$300 million of the US$450 million in potential revenue gains.

Experts say the implementation of the AfCFTA should help set in motion the many deep reforms needed to boost long-term growth in African countries.

AfCFTA agreement creates the world's largest free trade area measured by the number of participating countries. The pact links 1.3 billion people in 55 countries with a combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of USD 3.4 billion. HEM/PPA/CF/NIC