THE Sadc Industrial Development and Trade (SIDT) is facing significant challenges in implementing its industrialisation strategy and roadmap due to inadequate infrastructure, shortage of skilled labour and limited access to finance, among others.
The strategy is a roadmap from 2015 to 2063, aligned to the European Union (EU) model.
The first phase focuses on industrial development, market integration and infrastructure.
The second phase focuses on diversification and enhancement of productivity and competitiveness. The third phase, from 2050 to 2063, focuses on innovation.
“However, we face challenges, including infrastructural deficits, scarcity of skills, access to finance and inability to meet international quality standards,” SIDT director Dhunraj Kassee said yesterday during the Sadc Industrialisation Week.
“We are working to address these challenges and seize opportunities, including opening a market of 54 countries in Africa, collaborating with the EU on a project to create competitiveness and market access and reviewing the study on the civilisation of Africa and Lima to identify new opportunities and challenges.”
The strategy aims to boost productive capacity, economic transformation and value addition to reduce poverty. The key pillars are industrialisation, competitiveness and regional integration.
It sets three growth paths namely: agro-processing, mineral beneficiation and downstream processing and industry and service-driven value chains.
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He said they would continue with the Strategy Action Plan 2015-2030, aligned to the Regional Integrative Strategic Development Plan.
Governments' six priority sectors are agro-processing, pharmaceuticals, mineral beneficiation and related mining operations, services, consumer goods and manufacturing of capital goods.
"We have negotiated with the European Union to develop the first two value chains. Under the SIPS [support to industrialisation and productive sectors] programme, we have developed an ARV [antiretroviral] value chain model policy, provided training on regional value chain entry points, promoted centralised collection of raw hides and skins and built capacity in Tanzania," Kassee said.
“We have also provided grants to support the development of remedies to manage HIV/Aids and developed an integrated electronic mobile application for HIV treatment guidelines.”
He said key features included infrastructural development, technology, science and innovation, modernisation of Sadc's industrial base and inter-agenda development of viable regional value chains.
