Experts have warned that visa policies in most African countries are hindering growth on the continent because they stiffle free movement of goods and people.
The visa policies and regimes have made it difficult for Africans to travel across the continent compared to European or American passport holders, a factor economists say is among the major issues holding back integration.
Going by the Africa Visa Openness report, released in February by the African Development Bank (AfDB), movement across the continent for African passport holders continues to suffer from visa policies.
The report established that, on average, Africans need visas to travel to 55 per cent of other African countries, can get visas on arrival in only 25 per cent of other countries and don’t need a visa to travel to just 20 per cent of other countries on the continent.
Only 13 African countries offer liberal access to Africans, the report established. In terms of regions, the openness index is better for East Africa and West Africa and lower in North Africa. It is much lower for countries in the middle income countries.
AfDB president Akinwumi Adesina said that in analysing the recent global price, commodity shocks and its impact on Africa, among the emerging issues was the ease of travel for African passport holders across the continent.
“As we analyse the global price commodity shocks on Africa, it is important that we look at what happens in the regional markets in Africa to reduce the susceptibility of the continent to global price shocks,” Adesina told The New Times in an exclusive interview last week.
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Nigeria: Country’s Unemployment Crisis Worsens – Rate Jumps By 518,000 in Three Mont
Nigeria’s employment crisis worsened in the first quarter of 2016, with unemployment rate rising to 12.1 per cent, the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, said on Friday.
The bureau said in its latest Unemployment Watch report that between December 2015 and March 2016, the population of unemployed Nigerians increased by 518,000 to over 1.45 million.
Economically active or working age population, the NBS said, increased from 105.02 million in the fourth quarter of 2015 to 106 million by the end of March 2016.
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South Africa’s Jacob Zuma to hear corruption charges decision
South Africa’s prosecuting authority is to announce whether it will reinstate corruption charges against President Jacob Zuma over a 1999 arms deal.
Originally, the charges were dropped weeks before the 2009 election which led to him becoming president.
But last month, a high court judge described that decision as “irrational”.
Mr Zuma has always denied the allegations which are linked to an arms deal worth billions of dollars.
Live: Zuma decision announced
Profile: Jacob Zuma
Judge Aubrey Ledwaba said the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) should consider re-opening the case.
The opposition Democratic Alliance asked the courts to review the 2009 decision after it got access to the evidence in the so-called “spy tapes” that led the chief prosecutor Mokotedi Mpshe to drop the case.
In 2009, Mr Mpshe said that the tapes – recordings of phone conversations between officials discussing the timing of the case against Mr Zuma – suggested that there was political interference in the investigation.
Controversial arms deal: What you need to know
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Additional visa centres opened in China
The Department of Home Affairs has opened five additional centers in China, Home Affairs MinisterMalusi Gigaba announced on Wednesday.
“We now have established centers in Wuhan, Xi’an, Shenyang, Hangzhou and Jinan. This brings to nine, the total number of visa facilitation centers in China, marking South Africa as the second highest footprint after Britain and the highest among the BRICS partners,” Gigaba said. He added that the department has seen an increase in visa application volumes from China. “These new visa application centers will help us to cater to the growing demand while making application processes easier for applicants.”
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African Visa Policies Hurting Continent’s Growth – Experts
Experts have warned that visa policies in most African countries are hindering growth on the continent because they stiffle free movement of goods and people.
The visa policies and regimes have made it difficult for Africans to travel across the continent compared to European or American passport holders, a factor economists say is among the major issues holding back integration.
Going by the Africa Visa Openness report, released in February by the African Development Bank (AfDB), movement across the continent for African passport holders continues to suffer from visa policies.
The report established that, on average, Africans need visas to travel to 55 per cent of other African countries, can get visas on arrival in only 25 per cent of other countries and don’t need a visa to travel to just 20 per cent of other countries on the continent.
Only 13 African countries offer liberal access to Africans, the report established. In terms of regions, the openness index is better for East Africa and West Africa and lower in North Africa. It is much lower for countries in the middle income countries.
AfDB president Akinwumi Adesina said that in analysing the recent global price, commodity shocks and its impact on Africa, among the emerging issues was the ease of travel for African passport holders across the continent.
“As we analyse the global price commodity shocks on Africa, it is important that we look at what happens in the regional markets in Africa to reduce the susceptibility of the continent to global price shocks,” Adesina told The New Times in an exclusive interview last week.
Source