Members of US Congress, African ministers to discuss Agoa next week

Dar es Salaam. Members of the US Congress and Cabinet ministers from Africa will meet next week to discuss the usefulness of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) programme.

The 20th Agoa Forum, set to take place in Johannesburg, South Africa, will also involve activists and business leaders.

Speaking during a media and digital press briefing on Friday, October 27, US Trade officials said the Agoa forum comes amidst concerns that the programme, designed to increase exports from Africa to the US, has not been as impactful as originally anticipated.

Agoa is scheduled to expire in two years after its validity was extended to 2025. At the Johannesburg forum, participants from both the US and Africa will discuss challenges and assess what is and isn't working to make Agoa more impactful.

The Assistant US Trade Representative for Africa (AUSTR), Constance Hamilton, said at the digital briefing that the forum provides an opportunity to receive open feedback from African partners and private sector investors on how to enhance the impact and strategic value of Agoa.

She said the Agoa programme is more than just trade but a strong opportunity for diplomatic engagement to combat corruption, protect human rights, and end poverty.

“Through this, we can collectively enforce the mechanism for strong economic growth,” she said.

She noted that the presence of members of the US Congress provides the possibility to revise the law and make changes.

The Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS), Bureau of African Affairs, Joy Basu, who also attended the briefing, noted that fostering new economic engagement with countries in Africa is a top priority for the US government.

“It’s an idea of shared inclusive sustainable economic growth for Africa that is on the front of our goals and was highlighted last year in the Africa US summit in December,” she said.

She said Agoa is at the cornerstone of the US economic engagement programme with Africa.

“At the Agoa forum in Johannesburg next week, we hope to build on the commitment and emphasise hope for constructive dialogue about what is working in Africa and what can be improved by the private sector and other partners,” she said.

According to her, the hope was for Agoa to be a game changer and support integration across the continent.

“We know that several countries are getting into Agoa and others are getting out, but we need to look at how the programmeme can be more impactful because, after 25 years, only a few countries are taking advantage of the programmeme, making it imperative to look at how to improve,” she said.