COMESA headquarters in Lusaka, Zambia. (-)

An official of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) said South Sudan is well placed to join the largest regional economic bloc in the continent as it is already surrounded by countries that are already members.

The country had only signed COMESAS’ Regional Customs Transit Guarantee Scheme in 2016.

The customs transit regime is designed to facilitate the movement of goods under customs seals in the COMESA region.

It eliminates the need for multiple bonds in different countries of transit with one custom bond.

South Sudan despite neighboring COMESA member states namely, Ethiopia, Uganda, Sudan, Kenya and DR Congo are members of the bloc, has not joined the bloc.

Dr. Bernard Dzawanda, COMESA Senior Transport Economist told Eye Radio that the geographical position of South Sudan makes it favorite to qualify for membership of the bloc.

“In the decision to join the regional economic community for COMESA, the initial qualification is that a country should be neighboring a COMESA member state, so in the case of South Sudan, you border Ethiopia, Uganda, Sudan, Kenya and DR Congo,” Dr Dzawanda said.

“So, based on those principles being adjacent to neighboring, South Sudan qualified, but you see the position of South Sudan is very interesting, when you want to look at it from COMESA perspectives. This is because South Sudan is surrounding by the members of states right round.”

Dr. Dzawanda encouraged the South Sudan government to kickstart the process of joining the bloc, for the country’s economic benefit.

“There’s also room for resource mobilization only in the part of COMESA secretariat, because if you join the group as a country, you have a chance of mobilizing the resources on your own from the donors, but you can also benefit from the donors’ funds through the regional economic community.”

“Like in COMESA, we have a lot of money from development partners and that money is meant to member state and other business partners, so you will be able to access that kind of those resources.”

“The membership fee is contribution, and that contribution is related to the formula and the formula is related to the GDP.”

COMESA began in December 1994 to replace the former Preferential Trade Area (PTA) which had existed from the earlier days of 1981.

This was with the aim of promoting regional integration through trade and the development of natural and human resources for the mutual benefit of all people in region.