Trade in Services related Capacity Building Measures in Rwanda for the AfCFTA

The Project at A Glance

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is one of the African Union’s (AU) flagship projects for the implementation of its 2063 Agenda. Despite the progress, it should be noted that the Republic of Rwanda like many African Member States currently do not have sufficient capacity to successfully realize the AfCFTA.

International Economics (IEC) is involved in building the capacity of all the key stakeholders in specific matters of trade in services as well as awareness raising and strengthening the necessary institutional and legal frameworks for realizing the AfCFTA at a National level.

What We Found

The AfCFTA offers Rwanda an opportunity to benefit from the transformation of the existing diverse and heterogeneous African markets into a more unified and homogeneous continental market. In this context, the AfCFTA’s Protocol on Trade in Services plays a crucial role.

However, despite the multiple extensions, the AfCFTA Contracting Parties have not been able to finalise their Schedule of Commitments. In this context, our Team is supporting the negotiations on the liberalization of trade in services by strengthening Rwanda’s capacities for trade in services analysis, negotiation and implementation.

Our Strategy and Impact

The services sector is the most dynamic and promising sector of nearly any economy. Rwanda is not an exception to this rule. International Economics Team is conducting capacity building activities on regulatory audits and gap assessments, together with the development of a strategy to implement the commitments undertaken.

Furthermore, the Team will conduct a study on the contribution of trade in services (TiS) to the manufacturing sector, develop tools and capacity building for numerators, TiS training for professional bodies as well as Training for potential TiS exporters.

Our Core Solutions

With the rapid proliferation of trade agreements worldwide, there are new market and investment opportunities for countries to explore. At International Economics Consulting, based on our extensive experience in international trade, we assist our clients by providing a detailed analysis of the key impacts of new trade agreements on their operations and competitiveness through an assessment of tariff, and non-tariff barriers, provisions on rules of origin, customs efficiency, the effectiveness of transport networks, and sustainability provisions, among others.

We can help assess the opportunities in different markets, determine the feasibility and viability of projects, and benchmark the wider ecosystem to support business growth. We also support clients in navigating the policy landscape regarding international trade by establishing robust monitoring and evaluation framework through sophisticated real-time dashboards and reporting systems to ensure the best outcomes.