African Economic Integration
Economic integration expands markets and employment opportunities and allows for more efficient investment and the promotion of the diffusion of technology. It also enables a more attractive investment climate. Given these well documented benefits, economic integration has long been a core objective of the African continent, though to date success in this respect has been mixed.
Though in the past TIPS has focused on the trade aspect of integration with some indirect focus on other aspects such as employment and investment, in future a comprehensive African Economic Integration programme is to be outlined given the importance of these other aspects in actually enabling the continent to grow and develop more rapidly.
Policy issues to be tackled will include assessing how investment policies could be co-ordinated in the region and having a concrete financial market strategy at a regional level. Furthermore, competition policy is yet another area of policy research and dialogue facilitation that is not only under-explored in South Africa, but also beyond this country in the region and across the continent; similarly with regulation.
There is significant scope to take forward much of the excellent work that has already been undertaken by the Competition Commission of South Africa, and they have already expressed keenness to partner with TIPS in this regard. Other areas for consideration include co-operation and co-ordination of technological advancement and innovation initiatives, as well as labour mobility, among others, all of which are further areas that require focused policy attention at the regional and continental levels.
The key areas of focus of the African Economic Integration programme are competition policy, financial markets, investment, migration, regulation, and technology and innovation.
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