Yaoundé, 28 April 2025 (ECA) – National and international experts from the government, the private sector and development partners will meet in Bangui on the 6 and 7 May 2025 to validate a report titled “National impact study on the participation of small and medium-sized enterprises of the Central African Republic in regional value and supply chains.”
Built over a collaboration between the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)’s Subregional Office for Central Africa, the UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the Ministry of Trade and Industry of the Central African Republic (CAR), the study offers an in-depth analysis of the structural challenges and opportunities facing SMEs in producing and trading value-added goods and services within intra-African markets, in the framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Structured around four sections, the report highlights the benefits of regional integration for CAR; identifies potential market niches and sectors such as agro-processing, timber and minerals; outlines key barriers to be addressed and presents strategic recommendations to foster SME participation in RVCs.
According to Jean Luc Mastaki, Director of the ECA's Sub-Regional Office for Central Africa, “the report provides data on the economic ecosystem, the productivity challenges facing SMEs and the opportunities for propelling CAR companies into regional value chains. This factual evidence leads to precise recommendations that can guide our action as a partner on the one hand, and on the other, inform the decision-making of the national authorities, who are highly motivated”.
The validation workshop in Bangui is part of UNCTAD’s multi-country project titled “Enhancing the capacity of African vulnerable countries in adopting policy incentives and innovative instruments for SME’s participation in regional value chains”. In CAR, the project is implemented jointly with ECA and the Ministry of Trade and Industry. Officially launched in November 2024, the project aims to enhance the knowledge and capacity of key stakeholders in CAR to design and implement policies that improve SME access to finance, productivity, competitiveness, and integration into regional value chains. It also seeks to increase the role of SMEs in manufacturing and supplying value-added goods, modernize production processes, and introduce innovative instruments to strengthen their capacity to produce and trade effectively at scale in regional markets, within the context of the AfCFTA.
Note to Editors:
About ECA: Established in 1958 by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations, ECA is one of the institution's five regional commissions, with a mandate to support the economic and social development of its member states, encourage regional integration and promote international cooperation for Africa's development.
Comprising 54 member states, the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) plays a dual role as a regional body of the United Nations (UN) and as an integral part of the regional institutional landscape in Africa. More at www.uneca.org
About UNCTAD: The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is a permanent intergovernmental body established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1964.
UNCTAD helps developing countries gain fairer and more effective access to the benefits of a globalized economy. It produces economic and trade analyses, facilitates consensus-building and provides technical assistance to help developing countries use trade, investment, finance and technology for inclusive and sustainable development. More at www.unctad.org
About the UNCTAD project: The project aims to increase the role of SMEs in the manufacturing and supply of value-added goods and services. It will do so by building the knowledge and capacity of selected African countries (Benin, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Togo, Uganda) to adopt policy incentives and innovate instruments that can strengthen the ability of SMEs to produce and trade efficiently, and at scale, towards regional markets. This will contribute to the creation of new market niches and expansion of cross-border trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Funded by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Sub-Fund of the UN Peace and Development Trust Fund, the project is implemented by UNCTAD in close collaboration with UNECA, UNDP, UNCDF and RCOs in target countries. More at www.unctad.org/project/participation-of-smes-in-regional-value-chains
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Zacharie Roger MBARGA - Communications Officer
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