Assessing Regional Integration in Africa ARIA X : Africa’s Services Trade Liberalization & Integration under the AfCFTA

Abstract

This document presents key findings and policy recommendations of the ARIA X report, Africa’s Services Trade Liberalization and Integration under the AfCFTA, for the top-most policy makers. Those policy makers and other stakeholders in the development sphere are encouraged to read this publication to unravel and address the difficulties and challenges associated with trade in the priority services: transport, communications, financial services, tourism, and business services. Assessing Regional Integration in Africa X (ARIA X) focuses on issues in Africa’s services trade liberalization and integration in the context of the AfCFTA. It builds on earlier related works to deepen our understanding and appreciation of the critical roles of services, especially in the digital era, in trade, production and the economy in Africa. The report critically analyses approaches to liberalizing trade in services and to regional regulatory cooperation that have the most potential to support Africa’s development, including through enhancing intra-African trade in services. The establishment of regional value chains to enable more effective integration into global value chains and greater competitiveness in the services sector’s digitalizing global economy are of prime concern. ARIA X report has ten chapters organized under three main sections. The first is the introductory and conceptual section, comprising of a traditional chapter that tracks progress and trends in regional integration on the continent since the last edition, ARIA IX.