MBABANE – Officials and industry players gathered for the second day of a training session led by the African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO), which focused on how harmonised African standards can boost trade across the continent under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The session, organised by the Eswatini Standards Authority (SWASA), featured presentations from the ARSO team, led by Secretary-General Dr. Hermogene Nsengimana. The delegation broke down the technical standards and conformity assessment requirements embedded in the AfCFTA agreement.
Participants also heard from Mr. Kirwa Emmanuel and Ms. Clementine Mukamana, who detailed ARSO’s ongoing interventions, explained AfCFTA tariff lines, and offered a comparative analysis of intra-African trade performance in relation to other regions. They also presented findings from recent evaluations of testing and calibration laboratories across the continent.
Another key component of the training was the African Trade Web Portal—an electronic platform designed to give African traders, importers, and exporters access to essential product and market information. The portal outlines detailed country-specific data such as tariffs, rules of origin, product requirements, customs processes, sales taxes, trade regulations, and contacts for competent authorities.
Eswatini stakeholders in attendance included representatives from the Ministry of Commerce (Trade Unit), Ministry of Finance, the Regulatory and Quality Infrastructure Development Department, Eswatini Revenue Service, and SWASA.
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