Improving trade conditions for small scale traders in the Tripartite region – report from COMESA, EAC and SADC Tripartite planning meeting.At a planning meeting last week, officials from the three Regional Economic Communities (COMESA, EAC and SADC) recommended that a programme be implemented to improve trading conditions for small scale traders in the region.

This programme will include a review of trade documentation as well as a simplification of border clearance procedures. There will, furthermore, be an emphasis on making trade related information readily available and accessible to small scale traders.The programme will build on the strengths of the Simplified Trade Regime (STR) being implemented by COMESA and EAC as well as the Trading for Peace programme which was being implemented in the Great Lakes region.The meeting also agreed to work towards the provision of trade infrastructure sensitive to the needs of Small and Medium Enterprises (SME’s) and women traders.This includes improving sanitary facilitates for women traders at One Stop Border Posts (OSBP), as well as provision of storage facilities for traders using high traffic border posts.To support small scale traders to participate in trade negotiations and to build capacity for mainstreaming gender into trade.