Representing the COMESA Secretary General, Her Excellency Ms. Chileshe Kapwepwe, at the European Union-Zambia Business Club (EUZBC) Annual General Meeting convened yesterday, 21st March 2024 in Lusaka, Zambia, COMESA Business Council’s (CBC) Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Teddy Soobramanien called for continued close collaborations with the European Union to bolster private sector development in the COMESA Region.

Mr. Soobramanien recognized the EU’s significant support towards various trade projects in the region, stating, “I am encouraged that the EU programmes are increasingly recognizing the key role of the business community in promoting trade, economic, social and environmental agenda in the region.” 

Key initiatives of the EU-COMESA partnership include projects on local sourcing for partnerships, market access and capacity building on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The CEO also spoke about CBC’s Digital Financial Inclusion (DFI) Program that will facilitate cross-border trade amongst COMESA Member States.

“To facilitate cross-border trade, CBC is implementing the DFI program whose goal supports the design, development and deployment of an integrated regional Digital Retail Payments infrastructure that is low-cost, interoperable, fraud-resistant, that serves Micro Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs),” he stated.

Mr. Soobramanien further urged stakeholders to actively engage in promoting free trade and investment cooperation, with a shared vision of fostering economic growth and development across the COMESA region and Africa as a whole.

In alignment, the EU Ambassador to Zambia and COMESA, Her Excellency Ms. Karolina Stasiak noted that COMESA plays a pivotal role in linking private sector businesses to growth opportunities at both local and regional level.

Mr. Soobramanien expressed readiness to collaborate closely with the EUZBC Leadership to advance common interests and drive trade integration initiatives.