President Lazarus Chakwera on Tuesday met African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretary General Wamkele Mene and discussed the implementation of free trade area which Malawi ratified in January 2021.

State House Acting Press Secretary Anthony Kasunda said in an interview Thursday said the discussions also centred on the needs and expectations of the AfCFTA Secretariat from member states.

According to Kasunda, Malawi is already benefitting from this free trade pact as the country has already started trading with other countries outside the Sourthern African Development Community (Sadc) region.

Kasunda said the Chakwera administration signed a trade deal with South Sudan, which has seem agricultural products from Malawi being exported to South Sudan, thereby helping Malawi to generate the much-needed foreign exchange.

“The President is very excited; as you know, he is the biggest advocate for increased trade between countries, which is key to development,” Kasunda said.

Malawi on January 15 this year submitted its instrument of ratification of the AfCFTA, making it the 35th member state to ratify the agreement.

The ratification followed the deposit of the agreement instruments which were signed by Chakwera on November 1 2020 to the African Union headquarters in Ethiopia.

Source: https://times.mw/lazarus-chakwera-meets-afcfta-secretary-general