Tayebwa urges OACPS to prioritise trade, industrialisation and value addition
Tayebwa also urged member states to deepen collaboration and take advantage of shared opportunities to accelerate development across Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific.
Uganda’s Deputy Speaker of Parliament and President of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) Parliamentary Assembly, Thomas Tayebwa, has called on OACPS member states to place trade, industrialisation and value addition at the centre of their development agenda to accelerate economic transformation.
Addressing the 121st OACPS Council of Ministers at the Egmont Palace in Brussels, Tayebwa said the 79-member organisation must focus on practical economic priorities that directly improve the livelihoods of its citizens.
He argued that the relevance of the OACPS would increasingly be measured by its ability to champion policies that create jobs, strengthen regional industries and enable member states to derive greater value from their natural resources.
The OACPS brings together countries from Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific to promote cooperation on trade, sustainable development and political dialogue.
Speaking in his capacity as President of the OACPS Parliamentary Assembly and Co-President of the OACPS-European Union Joint Parliamentary Assembly, Tayebwa echoed a long-standing message championed by President Yoweri Museveni that developing countries cannot achieve meaningful prosperity by exporting raw materials while importing finished products.
“Exporting unprocessed minerals is, in effect, exporting jobs, industries and wealth,” Tayebwa said, urging member states to process minerals at source, build regional value chains and manufacture higher-value products.
He noted that Africa is endowed with an estimated US$29.5 trillion worth of mineral resources but continues to lose significant economic value because many of these resources are exported in raw or minimally processed form.
Tayebwa cited the Democratic Republic of Congo as an example of how value addition in cobalt processing has significantly increased national revenues. He also pointed to Uganda’s progress in gold processing as evidence that investment in beneficiation can strengthen domestic industries and boost economic growth.
He called on OACPS countries to adopt policies that promote mineral beneficiation, industrialisation and manufacturing to create employment opportunities, increase government revenues and transform their economies.
Tayebwa also urged member states to deepen collaboration and take advantage of shared opportunities to accelerate development across Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific.
“For years, we have spoken about making the OACPS more relevant to our citizens. We cannot achieve that unless we focus on practical issues that directly improve livelihoods,” he said.
His remarks come as OACPS leaders continue discussions on strengthening economic cooperation and advancing sustainable development among member states.
