Continental Free Trade Agreement Amharic Version Comes to Life

Dec 17 , 2022

Non-English speakers can now access an Amharic translation of the continental agreement on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and benefit from the opportunities it provides. Bethelhem Arega, the secretariat of the AfCFTA liaison office, says AfCFTA allows active engagement in the trade agreement between 44 countries with the potential to impact 1.3 billion people if implemented successfully. Implementing the continental agreement will mean phasing out tariffs between member states with accepted tariff concession appeals from 29 countries as of February 2022. The translated version was launched by the EU in partnership with the Ministry of Trade & Regional Integration last week at the UNECA hall, on Menelik II Avenue. Tages Mulgeta, the Ministry's expert on bilateral and regional trade relations and negotiations assistance, applauded the move, saying that the continental trade deal allows a gradual transition for trade integration between member states. The Deputy Head of the chamber of commerce, Wube Mengistu, represented the private sector at the event; he expects the Amharic translation to help the business community understand the implications more clearly.