Africa lags behind on global trade � Serame :: Mmegi Online

Africa is still lagging behind when it comes to integrating into the global trade, a senior government official has said. Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry, Peggy Serame said the continent continues to mainly export commodities and thus remains at the bottom of the global value chains.

She was speaking at the official opening of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) regional trade policy course for English speaking African countries at the University of Botswana (UB) this week.

Serame emphasised the importance for the region to continue building necessary capacity to be able to formulate robust trade and industrial policies, which can facilitate integration into the global economy, and consequently create the much needed employment opportunities. “The WTO regional trade policy course is one important way of attaining the much-needed expertise, which can assist to achieve this objective,” she said.

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