The role of developmentally focused institutions and agencies in creating a sustainable infrastructure for regional and sub regional trade facilitation

Abstract

The article investigates the impact globalisation has had on the trading environment confronting a developing country’s suppliers of goods and services. The gradual reduction in historic methods to protect national markets such as tariffs is bringing more sophisticated technical barriers to the fore. In order to satisfy the sophisticated demands of a developed country’s consumers, it is essential that developing country suppliers have access to appropriate technical infrastructure. The provision of such infrastructure in an African context, under the African Union and NEPAD is discussed. The possible roles of both the regional and sub regional of are then explored. The article concludes that the many differences between the member states of the African Union should be considered strengths in harvesting its rightful rewards as respected members in the global community.