Good Call’ Following French Initiative Africa is Set to Roll Out its Single Passport

Africa is Set to Roll Out its Single Passport This Year

By Apolinari Tairo - eTN Tanzania

SINGLE PASSPORT FOR ALL AFRICAN NATIONS is set to be introduced this year as the continent is forging its way to easing movements of people and goods within its internal boundaries.

Single passport for Africans is a declaration of the Africa Union Agenda 2063 seeking to integrate the continent’s business and politics based on PanAfricanism and the vision of Africa’s Renaissance.

The African passport is the fl agship project of the 2063 Agenda aiming to remove restrictions on Africans’ ability to travel, work and live within their own continent.

The initiative aims at transforming Africa’s laws, which remain generally restrictive on the movement of people despite political commitments to bring down borders with the view to promoting the issuance of visas by member states to enhance free movement of all African citizens in all African countries. The African Union Passport is

currently available to government leaders, diplomats and AU offi cials

only. Reports from South Africa said that the passport is set to be rolled out this year as an implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Reports said that the AfCFTA aims to bring together 1.3 billion people in Africa’s US$ 3.4 trillion economy, creating a single market for goods and services in addition to a customs union with free movement of both capital and business travelers. The Africa Union Agenda 2063 initiative aims at transforming Africa’s laws, which remain generally restrictive on the movement of people despite political commitments to bring down borders with the view to promoting the issuance of visas by member states to enhance free movement of all African citizens in all African countries.

The passport is expected to ease travel within the African continent to stimulate then create economic success to this Continent.

Tourism is on top agenda among key economic areas envisaged to boost Africa’s development and social welfare of its people. The AU has been pushing its objective to double intra-Africa tourism by 2023, as part of the 10-year implementation plan (2014- 2023), which fi ts into the broad AU Agenda 2063 on free movements between African states.

The introduction of an African passport and opening up of borders has the potential and capacity to ensure that African travelers get the opportunity to explore the continent, which indeed has signifi cant economic, political, cultural and social benefi ts.

Among such benefi ts are: • Boosting intra-Africa trade, commerce and tourism; • Facilitating labour mobility, intra-Africa knowledge and skills transfer; • Promoting pan-African identity, social integration and tourism; • Improving trans-border infrastructure and shared development;

Publisher's Message from page 5

and traditional leaders will need to aid public health education by sharing health care knowledge with their constituencies. A lot of people could have been saved by wearing masks, washing hands and social distancing. Further, we implore the government to change the rules that do not allow girls to be in school while they are pregnant. The Pandemic has clearly shown that some rules favor boys than girls and that has to stop. The burden of household responsibilities grows heavier on girls and their freedoms may well have been curtailed in line with gendered expectations. It is time to ensure all people have the same rights and rules regardless of gender.

With that said we wish everyone on the African Continent, those in America where this pandemic has been so much more devasting, Gods speed and good end to this pandemic.

Ricky Muloweni Publisher/President dawn@africabusinessassociation.org aba@africabisinessassociation.org www.africabusinessassociation.org Image credit: Save the Children International

• Fostering a comprehensive approach to border management; and • Promoting rule of law, human rights, and public health.

African Tourism Board (ATB) had joined other economic and development organizations in Africa to campaign then promoting free movement of people including tourists within Africa.

ATB is now championing for the creation of intraAfrica tourism, aiming to bring together the people of Africa through free movements and travels within the continent.

Established two years ago, ATB is currently working jointly with African governments and other, notable Pan-African organizations and tourism institutions to promote then marketing tourism in Africa with a target to encourage visa free movements among the African states. https://eturbonews.com/2586825/africa-is-set-to-rollout-its-single-passport-this-year/