Africa: Development Bank Wants Common Passport in Africa

AFRICA:

By Jonathan Adengo

Kampala — The African Development Bank (AfDB) group has called for a common passport and visa openness to spur intra – Africa trade and tourism, a new report – recently released by the bank states.

The Africa Tourism Monitor 2016 report says the creation of an African passport and an end to visa requirements for all African citizens, specifically visa openness will improve interconnectivity, boost economic growth and intra-Africa trade, and spur investment, bringing massive benefits for the travel and tourism industry.

The report also stresses why it is now more important than ever for African countries to craft economic and trade policies that will foster inclusive and green tourism growth, intra-Africa trade, and contribute to visa openness for a borderless and interconnected continent.

Visa openness also harmonises with AfDB’s High 5s ‘Integrate Africa’ agenda, which seeks to make Africa more open, prosperous and interconnected. The African Union Commission (AUC) also champions for an African passport.

Dr Charles Leyeka Lufumpa, the director of the Statistics Department at the AfDB, in the report said the AUC’s Agenda 2063 proposes the creation of an African passport and an end to visa requirements for all African citizens.

“Specifically, Visa openness is seen as having great potential to improve interconnectivity, boost economic growth and intra- Africa trade, and spur investment, bringing massive benefits for the travel and tourism industry in Africa,” he said.

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