Burundi, Rwanda and Kenya are among 15 members of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) ready to pilot the Comesa Electronic Certificate of Origin (eCO) system.
The eCO which is one of the latest tools developed under the Comesa Digital Free Trade Area (FTA) initiative is expected to facilitate intra-regional trade through reduction in the costs and time required in registration, application and submission of certificates and the post-verification of originating goods.
On June 10, the Comesa Secretariat undertook to collaborate with these countries to develop national piloting plans to ensure electronic certificates are implemented to boost the value of intra-Comesa trade, which has stagnated since FTA instruments were put in place in 2000.
Certificates of Origin are issued to exporters within the Comesa’s FTA to confer preferential treatment to goods originating from an FTA member.
In November last year, the 40th Meeting of the Council of Ministers adopted the draft regulations to implement the Comesa eCO system to facilitate trade for businesses and trade operators.
