The private sector, specifically small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), is critical to Africa’s economic diversification and competitiveness. However, in vulnerable economies like the Central African Republic (CAR), SMEs face several challenges, limiting their access to regional markets and potential for growth.
To address these challenges, UNCTAD, in collaboration with other UN partners, has developed a project to enhance SMEs’ participation in regional value chains. In CAR, the project will provide insights into tools and policies for industrial agglomeration, research on value chains, and digital and financial technologies to foster regional trade clusters and high-value industrial hubs under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The national consultation workshop in CAR, organized jointly with UNECA’s Central Africa Subregional Office and the Ministry of Trade and Industry, aims to advance the country's AfCFTA strategy, focusing on enhancing SMEs’ integration into regional value chains. This collaborative event aims to engage key stakeholders in the public and private sectors and to foster discussions on policies and incentives that facilitate SMEs’ access to critical market information, technology, and resources to better equip them for regional trade and industrial growth under the AfCFTA.
