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SADC free trade area “on track”

    JOHANNESBURG

    All tariffs on trade between members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) should be abolished by 2012 under a proposed free trade area, the organisation’s interim executive secretary, Prega Ramsamy, said in Maputo on Wednesday.

    He told a press briefing, during the second SADC/USA forum, that the SADC Trade Protocol “is on a good track”. The protocol took effect 25 January, and the free trade area will be launched 1 September. Ten SADC members have ratified the protocol. Four others - Zambia, Angola, Congo and Seychelles - are yet to ratify.

    Ramsamy said that in 2004 or 2005, a review meeting would be held “to see if we can bring forward total liberalisation.” He said that the free trade area would be a “win-win” situation “despite short term disadvantages for some SADC members”.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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