The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has underscored the need for member countries to carefully strategize at national level in order to make the regional integration agenda a reality.
Outgoing Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Chairperson Professor
Pakalitha Mosisili stated that deepening of regional integration can only be
realised if adequate and cost effective infrastructure is in place.
He said the region, in line with the theme of this summit ‘scaling up the
implementation of regional infrastructure development’ has realised the need for
strengthening capacities to develop infrastructure at national and regional levels.
Prof Mosisili, who is Lesotho Prime Minister said when he officially opened the 27th
Heads of State and Government summit in Lusaka today that there is need to adopt
radical measures to finance the infrastructure gap in the region.
NEPAD has already made provisions for financing projects that include one in
transport, three communications, six energy projects which are being packaged in to
bankable projects.
” We are grateful for the $8.2 million allocated to NEPAD for infrastructure
projects by our cooperating partners , we urge the G8 countries among others to
honour their pledges that amount to several billions of dollars.
And Prof. Mosisili says the challenges of overlapping membership and configurations
within the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiations with the European Union
would continue to haunt the region as uncertainty continues to obscure the
collective destiny.
He stressed the overlapping memberships will pose a big challenge to the region in
the near future as it moves towards deeper integration within SADC.
He however urged member countries to speedily address key obligations at the
national level to ensure that the Free Trade Area is realised by 2008 , a custom
union in 2010 and the common market in 2015.
Meanwhile Prof. Mosilili has urged the region to seek to achieve overarching
adjective of poverty reduction through deepening integration, global competitiveness
and export led growth.
He said it imperative that the region collectively fight for a SADC wide enabling
investment climate , complementary and supportive investment and industrial policies
as well as a fair multilateral trade regime.
Prof. Mosilili observed the current one is characterised by skewed market access ,
double standard on subsidies and other non reciprocal trade measures.
He said the region has to promote and increase trade among its members by focussing
more that ever on market integration and all efforts that add value to regional
integration.
Prof. Mosilili added it is important that the region reviews the energy cris as
energy falls will derail programmes and slow down the economic growth.
He said SADC needs to adopt clear strategy to address the matter with as an integral
part of the regional integration framework.
” Beyond energy, we must commit to goods moving between and within our countries
easily and without ant barriers by opening up all transportation corridors,’ he
added .
He said special attention should be paid to the effective operationalisation of
corridors whose impact on landlocked countries such as Lesotho has a telling effect
on the landing costs of both imports and exports.
He said the Almaty declaration which seeks to unlock routes to sea for land locked
countries should remain one of the guiding principles.
