Despite signing and ratifying the free movement of goods and services, a number of countries have not done the same for the movement of businesspersons, Common Market for East and Southern Africa (Comesa) has said.
Ministry of Industry and Trade spokesperson Wiskes Mkombezi said discussions are underway to ratify the protocol of free movement of businesspersons under the Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA).
Comesa secretary general Sindiso Ngwenya said the quest for revenue from visa fees should not encourage States to maintain them as there are economic benefits to reap from movement of businesspeople and tourism in comparison.
“Immigration department exists to facilitate movement of persons and not to control them,” he said in a statement.
Ngwenya challenged immigration chiefs from countries with strict visa restrictions to learn from their counterparts in Rwanda, Kenya, Seychelles, Mauritius and Uganda on how they addressed inherent fears that inhibit them from relaxing visa rules.
