Yaoundé accueille un séminaire régional sur la mise en œuvre de la ZLECAF
Le 5 août 2026, le secrétaire général du ministère du Commerce, Pr. Brusil Miranda Martine Metou, a officially opened a regional seminar in Yaoundé dedicated to the operationalisation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (ZLECAf). The four‑day gathering brings together experts and national committee representatives from across the CEMAC region to discuss ways of accelerating trade integration.
According to Journal du Cameroun, the seminar aims to strengthen the involvement of national committees, which are identified as major actors in the implementation process.
Rôle et composition des comités nationaux
Participants included senior officials from each member state, as well as representatives of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) who co‑hosted the event.
As reported by Cameroon Tribune, the committeesfunction as the primary liaison between national governments and the broader private sector, facilitating the translation of ZLECAf’s ambitious 5 % intra‑regional trade target into concrete policy measures.
Objectifs de l’accélération de la ZLECAF en Afrique centrale
Jean‑Luc Mastaki, director of the ECA regional office, emphasized that the ZLECAf constitutes a leverage point for boosting intra‑regional commerce, which remains low despite the potential of a market of over 200 million consumers.
He noted that overcoming technical and regulatory bottlene‑cks requires capacity‑building for the national committees, a priority highlighted during the opening ceremony.
Perspectives de coopération régionale
The seminar also explored strategies to harmonise customs procedures and improve cross‑border logistics, aligning with ongoing BEAC initiatives on payment system modernisation.
Discussions referenced the recent launch of SYSTAC 2, a platform designed to streamline compensation mechanisms within the CEMAC monetary union, as a concrete step toward facilitating smoother trade flows.
Sources
Crédit image : cameroon-tribune.cm
