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20 Countries Ratify African Union Self-financing Scheme

by Oswald Niyonzima
10:37 pm

While the 30th African Union GA is underway in Adis Ababa, 20 countries have agreed to give 0.2% levy from their import to African Union financing mechanism

African heads of state have welcomed the organs’ ongoing reform where more than 20 countries have ratified the 0.2% self-financing scheme.

In 2016, President Paul Kagame was tasked by his counterparts during the 27th African Union summit in Kigali to lead a reform process of the body as part of transforming it into a self-reliant continental body by 2018.

On July 3, 2017, President Kagame presented a progress report towards implementing the institutional reforms of the African Union at the 29th AU Ordinary Session, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and revealed that 11 AU Members were already implementing reforms.

“The fact that almost one-fifth of our Members have begun to implement 0.2% levy on eligible imports shows it can be done,” Kagame said then.

Kagame’s optimism might have inspired most of his counterparts since, during the 30th AU Summit more than 20 countries have agreed to the 0.2 self-financing scheme.

“African leaders in Addis Ababa this morning at 30th AU Summit held rich deliberations on the ongoing reform of our continental body: very good progress with more than 20 countries onboard for agreed 0.2% self-financing scheme,” Louise Mushikiwabo, Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs has tweeted.

Minister Mushikiwabo believes this as contributing to “Africa’s Peace Fund by 30 countries already.”

Meanwhile, President Kagame has today taken over AU chairmanship from Guinea’s President Alfa Condé and he has promised to offer the best he can.

“I promise to do this with you, and we will do the best job I can. Obviously I need your full support,” President Kagame said.

As he assumes the African Union Presidence, President Kagame said Africa must work hard for poverty reduction.

“We must save Africa from deprivation, we must create a market for ourselves given the abundance of our continent,” he said.

“We must act now to save Africa from permanent deprivation, scale is essential; we must create a unified single market; integrate our infrastructure and infuse our economies with technology.”