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1. BACKGROUND
The 2026 Work Plan of the Trade and Customs Division has been developed in line with the COMESA Treaty and the Medium-Term Strategic Plan (MTSP) 2026–2030. The Work Plan is structured around seven (7) key strategic focus areas of Pilar I of the MTSP (Consolidating Regional Market) which are critical for achieving a fully integrated and competitive regional market. These include the following:
- Consolidating deepening trade liberalization in goods.
- Implementing customs and trade facilitation instruments.
- Trade in services Liberalization.
- Digitalization of trade and trade facilitation instruments.
- Strengthen inclusivity of intra-COMESA trade.
- Capacity Building, Training, Annual Research Forum, and Masters in Regional Integration; and
- Strengthening cooperation and coordination with other RECs, AUC, TFTA, AfCFTA, Private sector and Cooperating/Development Partners
The 2026 Work Plan directly responds to the mandate of COMESA to deepen regional integration, facilitate trade, expand market access, and enhance the competitiveness of Member States, while also delivering on regional and global commitments including the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), AfCFTA, Tripartite FTA, and the AU Agenda 2063. The interventions outlined therein reflect the decisions of the COMESA Policy Organs and the priorities of Member States.
2. BUDGET REQUIREMENT AND FUNDING GAP
The total estimated budget for the 2026 Trade and Customs Division Work Plan is COM$ 4,028,091. Out of this, COM$ 2,912,091 (72.29% of total estimated budget) has already been secured from confirmed sources, including:
- Member States Contribution (COMESA Regular Budget) for planned activities – COM$ 451,500
- Member States Contribution for Staff Emoluments and Admin &General Costs–COM$743,046
- Great Lakes Trade Facilitation Project: COM$ 1,571,545
- EU SWITCH2CE: COM$ 136,000
- ICBP-EU: COM$ 10000
In addition, the funding estimated at COM$ 710,000 (17.63% of total estimated budget) is expected to be covered by various partner-funded projects (including ATCMA-EU (COM$200,000), and Trade in Services EU Programmes (COM$510,000) with no direct budget implications for the Secretariat.
However, a funding gap of COM$ 406,000 (10.1%) is required for the implementation of core interventions that are not covered by Member States Contribution (COMESA Regular Budget) or external funding.
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3. JUSTIFICATION FOR REQUESTING ADDITIONAL FUNDING UNDER GRANT COUNTERPART FUNDING
The activities outlined for counterpart funding are pertinent for the scaling up and continuity of trade and customs activities which were previously funded by development partners. It is envisaged that implementation of the aforementioned activities would support in implementing the target interventions of strategic importance and catalytic impact, including:
- Strengthen Trade Policy and Legal Frameworks: Ensuring COMESA instruments (e.g., Rules of Origin, Trade Remedies, AEO Regulations) are modern, aligned with international standards (e.g., AfCFTA, WCO, WTO TFA), and effectively implemented.
- Enhance Digitalization and Facilitate Data Exchange: Laying the groundwork for major digital projects and scaling up implementation of digital instruments (e.g., e-CO, Customs-to-Customs Electronic Data exchange, trade information portal, online NTBs portal) through crucial preparatory studies, technical assessments, and stakeholder engagements.