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Economic Partnership Agreements: A Challenge for Trade Justice


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ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT .pdf (1.045Mb)
Date
2007
Author
Sitali, Muyatwa
Type
Briefing
Language
en
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Abstract
In the last three years, the Debt and Trade Project (now Debt Aid and Trade Programme, DAT) of the Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR) invested in understanding the trade challenges faced by Zambia and other Least Developed Countries (LDC). This has been with the view to developing capacity for effective advocacy on trade arrangements that would contribute to the development of Zambia, especially human development. It is recognised that trade, if rightly done, can contribute to poverty eradication. In Zambia, poverty levels are well beyond 50 percent, averaging 34 per cent in urban areas and even higher, 80 per cent in rural areas. It is in rural areas where the big policy question of how the largest population that is agriculture-based can benefit from trade arrangements.
Description
Zambia has been negotiating EPAs under the ESA group though it belongs to both SADC and COMESA . COMESA is the Secretariat of the Eastern Southern Africa group of countries all of which are members of COMESA regional groupings. It is worth noting that each of the negotiating regional blocks has taken different approaches to the negotiations. For the ESA group, it has been a central focus that the EPA includes development objectives and strategies in all negotiating components of the EPA. These development needs, objectives, and strategies have been articulated in what is known as the “draft EPA text” and its accompanying regional development matrix (list of developmental projects submitted by ESA Member states). COMESA Is the Secretariat of the Eastern Southern Africa group of countries all of which are members of COMESA. A mutual exchange of privileges or favours. In reciprocal trade agreements, one nation extends certain benefits to another (such as the lowering of tariff duties) and In turn receives the same or similar benefits. The EPAs are being negotiated on the primary basis that the trade preferences going to developing countries under the Lome agreement violate key WTO principles and also that ACP countries have become poorer despite preferential (favoured) access to EU markets. The EPAs are essentially a move from the use of the principle of preferences to promote trade to reciprocity . The WTO, the EU and the World Bank consider free trade is an ideal way for ACP countries to make social and economic progress. However, Zambia’s experience with liberalisation under the Structural Adjustment Programme refutes this notion. A lot of industries such as Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia and several textile industries were liquidated which laid off a lot of people from employment.
Citation
Sitali, M. (2007). ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS: A CHALLENGE FOR TRADE JUSTICE
Subject
Trade Justice; Economic Partnerships
Publisher
Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection
URI
https://repository.jctr.org.zm/handle/20.500.14274/100
Collections
  • Advocacy on Public Finance Accountability [2]
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JESUIT CENTRE FOR THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION | Physical Address: 3813 Martin Mwamba Road, Olympia Park | Postal Address: P.O Box 37774, 10101 Lusaka, Zambia