The Economic Commission for Africa collaborated with the National Planning Commission of Malawi, to carry out a four-day applied training on the ECA’s Integrated Planning and Reporting Toolkit (IPRT) from 2 – 6 July 2024 in Lilongwe. The IPRT is a web-based tool that enables the digitalization, monitoring, integration and alignment of development plans to the 2030 Agenda, Agenda 2063, and the Doha Programme of Action for Least Developed Countries, and the strengthening of planning and financial frameworks.

Organized by the Macroeconomics, Finance, and Governance Division (MFGD), in partnership with the ECA Sub-Regional Office for Southern Africa, the training brought together about thirty-five government representatives from key ministries including Agriculture, Energy, Finance, Health, Local Government, Unity and Culture, the National Local Government Finance Committee, and Salima District Council, as well as United Nations representatives in Malawi. Bartholomew Armah, Chief of the Development Planning Section notes that “the training is important in strengthening Malawi’s capacity to accelerate progress on the implementation of its national development plan.”

Coca-Cola Beverages Africa’s fastest plastic bottle production line in its East Africa operations, with a capacity of 67,000 bottles per hour and equipped with state-of-the-art technology such as robotic arms and automated fillers, is driving efficiency and growth in the Ugandan beverages industry.

In 2022, Coca-Cola Beverages Uganda (CCBU), a subsidiary of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa, commissioned the construction of a new line at its head office in Namanve. The line was designed to increase efficiency and productivity.

CCBU’s new polyethylene terephthalate (PET) production line started operating last year. The company invested $27 million to ensure CCBU’s range of soft drinks are widely and consistently available to consumers.

In a move to support Ethiopia amidst ongoing crises, the government of the Republic of Korea has announced a substantial humanitarian aid package totaling $7 million USD. This funding is set to bolster the efforts of several international organizations working to alleviate the severe impacts of conflict and instability in the East African nation.

The aid will be distributed across four key international agencies, each tasked with addressing different facets of the humanitarian crisis.

The Republic of Korea’s decision reflects a deep commitment to addressing urgent humanitarian needs and fostering international cooperation in the face of global challenges. The South Korean government has expressed its determination to work closely with the Ethiopian government and international partners to ensure that this aid reaches those in need efficiently and effectively.

Industrialization anchors economic growth, industrial development, and facilitates trade creation and special economic zones (SEZs) are a key policy tool in this endeavour.

Speaking on the sidelines of the 7th SADC Industrialization Week & Exhibition, which kicked off in Harare, Zimbabwe on July 28 2024, Eunice Kamwendo, Director of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) Sub-Regional Office for Southern Africa (SRO-SA), highlighted that SEZs are an important policy tool to support private sector development, including micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises.

“SEZs should align with a country’s comparative and competitive advantage and be supported by a conducive policy and regulatory environment, including the integration of these zones into broader national development plans and policy frameworks,” said Kamwendo, adding that “strong political will is necessary to secure bilateral investment commitments to the zones by providing confidence to investors.”

Kamwendo emphasized that stakeholders in the region should consider the specific needs, priorities, and comparative and competitive advantages of each country in the region in deciding on specific SEZs approaches. In addition, she underlined that it is crucial to introduce transparent and harmonised policy, legal, regulatory, and institutional frameworks for transboundary SEZs to facilitate growth of regional value chains.