Lusaka – The Zambian government on Monday allayed fears that ratifying the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) may result in the country becoming a dumping ground of exported goods.
Christopher Yaluma, Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry, said the fears were unfounded as the country was already under wide custom free trade areas in other regional blocks.
Such as the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
The Zambian minister, who earlier attended a meeting of ministers of trade in Ethiopia in preparation for the operationalisation of the AfCFTA , said the government had put mechanisms through the establishment of the Industrial Development Corporation.
The mechanisms were aimed to attract investors in manufacturing with a view of promoting industrialisation.
The government, he said, had consulted widely and that the proposal for ratification of the AfCFTA will be taken to parliament.
The AfCFTA is expected to be officially effected during the forthcoming extraordinary session of the Assembly of the African Union on AfCFTA in Niger by July.
(Xinhua/NAN)