Pretoria – Southern African Heads of State met in Gaborone, Botswana on Friday to discuss the work of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU).
President Jacob Zuma was among the Heads of State attending the 4th Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Member States of the SACU.
Others included Lieutenant General Seretse Khama Ian Khama, President of Botswana, King Mswati III of Swaziland, Hifikepunye Pohamba, President of Namibia and Dr Motsoahae Thomas Thabane, Prime Minister of Lesotho.
The purpose of the summit was for the Heads of State and Government to consider progress made in implementing the SACU Work Programme.
At its last meeting in 2011 in Pretoria, they endorsed five priority areas to underpin a new SACU Work Programme.
These are regional industrial development policy, review of the revenue sharing arrangement, trade facilitation, development of SACU institutions and unified engagement in trade negotiations.
On Friday, the meeting endorsed two additional priority areas of trade in services, and strengthening the capacity of the Secretariat.
It also noted that the SACU Council of Ministers has streamlined the work programme on regional industrial development as an overarching objective of the SACU Work Programme.
The work programme currently includes eight priority sectors with potential for cross-border collaboration, textile, clothing and apparel, agro-processing, mineral beneficiation and processing (including mining and quarrying), leather and leather products, automotive, including automotive components, energy, including renewable/alternative energy, arts and crafts and support services (information and communication technology (ICT), financial skills development, infrastructure, transport and logistics and engineering).
Out of the eight, agro-processing and the automotive sector, including automotive components manufacturing, were identified for immediate cross-border collaboration where projects could be piloted.
They have also noted that Competition Policy forms an integral part of industrial development and emphasised the importance of completing the work on regional cooperation on the enforcement of competition laws and regulations.
The construction of the SACU Headquarters building in Windhoek, Namibia, has commenced and is anticipated to be completed by November 2013. – SAnews.gov.za
