[ad_1]
Published on
27.11.2018 at 18:21
by
APA News
Africa must unite and work hard to overthrow colonial infrastructure systems that favor the extraction of profitable agricultural and mineral wealth for export, at the expense of local communities and the continent, said Tuesday the minister of Transportation and Infrastructure and Transportation Development, Joel Biggie Matiza. at the opening session of the PIDA 2018 week in Victoria Falls, Mr. Matiza said that for Africa to fully develop and integrate, it was necessary for the continent to focus infrastructure development, in particular cross-border projects, to ensure sufficient competitiveness. to make the difference.
"Historically, African countries have inherited underdeveloped infrastructure focused on export-to-import transport rather than focusing on processing and improving local production capacity, as well as promoting intra-African trade. This is a reason for us to reverse this legacy and as a continent we have charted a new path through PIDA, a turning point we should follow to ensure we transform the current situation, "he said. .
Matiza praised PIDA's efforts to address Africa's infrastructure gap.
He said PIDA Week offers a valuable opportunity for policymakers, project developers, the private sector, civil society and academia to exchange views and propose solutions for project implementation. regional infrastructure on the continent.
"PIDA is such a vital initiative, not only to catalyze intra-African trade, but perhaps more important to provide a broader platform to encourage investment," he said.
For his part, Mr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, Executive Director of the NEPAD Agency, said that Africa should accelerate the development of cross-border infrastructure projects if it wished to fully integrate it. .
He said that much progress has been made since the adoption of PIDA by African leaders in 2012.
"We recognize that the best solutions to continental problems lie in regional integration. We are getting there gradually, but we need to accelerate implementation if we want regional integration. It is not a question of lack of financial resources, it is a question of lack of bankable projects and healthy rules. So we have to do our homework, "said Mayaki, adding that local, national and regional governance was the key to the success that Africa is trying to fill to bridge its infrastructure gap.
[ad_2]
Source link
