IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bcp/journl/v8y2024i1p2137-2165.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Contribution of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa in Poverty Alleviation: A Case of Trade Liberalisation in Zambia

Author

Listed:
  • Joseph Selisho

    (University of Zambia, Institute of Distance Education, Lusaka-Zambia)

  • Professor Jotham. C. Momba

    (University of Zambia, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of Political and Administrative Studies, Lusaka-Zambia)

Abstract

Background: This study was undertaken due to high levels of poverty in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Member States. The overall objective of the study was to explore the contribution of COMESA in the fight against poverty in Africa, a case study of Zambia from 2010-2021. The specific objective in this article was to explore the Contribution of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa in Poverty Alleviation, a case of trade liberalisation in Zambia. The study employed qualitative approach with an exploratory research design and critical case sampling to choose 13 key respondents to explore the contribution of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa in Poverty alleviation in Zambia from 2010-2021. Primary data was analysed from 13 key respondents selected purposively using an interview guide to support secondary data. Data was analysed using thematic and content analysis. This study found that COMESA was established by a treaty in December 1994 as a basis for trade liberalisation. The aim of trade liberalisation was to remove tariffs and non-tariff barriers to reduce the cost of doing business to create employment hence contributing to poverty alleviation. Zambia embarked on trade liberalisation and received financial support from COMESA and its international cooperating partners of development to achieve trade liberalisation. The study established that COMESA had been significant in the fight against poverty in Zambia. However, despite the trade reforms implemented, the study established that poverty levels in Zambia had not reduced since 2010 instead there had been an increase from 54.4 % in 2020 to 60.3 % in 2021. Zambia requires a clear regulatory framework predictable for business planning with a conducive legal business environment that promote trade through innovative policy framework targeting various sectors of the economy to generate income activities and employment. There must be regular review of the trade liberalisation rules to ensure coherence and compliance with COMESA rules in order to realise the gains of trade.

Suggested Citation

  • Joseph Selisho & Professor Jotham. C. Momba, 2024. "Contribution of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa in Poverty Alleviation: A Case of Trade Liberalisation in Zambia," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 8(1), pages 2137-2165, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bcp:journl:v:8:y:2024:i:1:p:2137-2165
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/Digital-Library/volume-8-issue-1/2137-2165.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/articles/contribution-of-the-common-market-for-eastern-and-southern-africa-in-poverty-alleviation-a-case-of-trade-liberalisation-in-zambia/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. S.M. Shafaeddin, 2005. "Trade Liberalization And Economic Reform In Developing Countries: Structural Change Or De-Industrialization?," UNCTAD Discussion Papers 179, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
    2. Chee-Ruey Hsieh & Mau-Shan Shi & Chien-Fu Jeff Lin, 2001. "The impact of trade liberalization on alcohol consumption in Taiwan," Chapters, in: Michael Grossman & Chee-Ruey Hsieh (ed.), The Economic Analysis of Substance Use and Abuse, chapter 17, pages 413-432, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Shafaeddin, Mehdi, 2010. "Trade liberalization, industrialization and development; experience of recent decades," MPRA Paper 26355, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Williams, Joycelyn, 2012. "Beyond Macroeconomic Stability: The Role of Selective Interventions in Guyana’s Growth," MPRA Paper 42755, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Christopher L. Gilbert, 2010. "Speculative Influences On Commodity Futures Prices 2006-2008," UNCTAD Discussion Papers 197, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
    4. Moritz Cruz, 2008. "Can Free Trade Guarantee Gains from Trade?," WIDER Working Paper Series RP2008-97, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    5. Armando J. Garcia Pires & José Pedro Pontes, 2021. "(De)Industrialization, Technology and Transportation," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 32(3), pages 527-538, July.
    6. Bicchetti, David & Maystre, Nicolas Maystre, 2013. "The synchronized and long-lasting structural change on commodity markets: Evidence from high frequency data," Algorithmic Finance, IOS Press, vol. 2(3-4), pages 233-239.
    7. Enrique Cosio-Pascal, 2008. "The Emerging Of A Multilateral Forum For Debt Restructuring: The Paris Club," UNCTAD Discussion Papers 192, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
    8. Jörg Mayer, 2008. "Policy Space: What, For What, And Where?," UNCTAD Discussion Papers 191, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
    9. Shigehisa Kasahara, 2013. "The Asian Developmental State And The Flying Geese Paradigm," UNCTAD Discussion Papers 213, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
    10. Lawrence Edwards & Robert Lawrence, 2008. "SACU Tariff Policies: Where Should They Go From Here?," CID Working Papers 169, Center for International Development at Harvard University.
    11. Stephany Griffith-Jones, 2014. "A Brics Development Bank: A Dream Coming True?," UNCTAD Discussion Papers 215, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
    12. Ugo Panizza & Federico Sturzenegger & Jeromin Zettelmeyer, 2010. "International Government Debt," Business School Working Papers 2010-03, Universidad Torcuato Di Tella.
    13. Sukti Dasgupta & Ajit Singh, 2006. "Manufacturing, Services and Premature De-Industrialisation in Developing Countries: A Kaldorian Empirical Analysis," Working Papers wp327, Centre for Business Research, University of Cambridge.
    14. Giovanni Andrea Cornia & Bruno Martorano, 2012. "Development Policies and Income Inequality in Selected Developing Regions, 1980–2010," UNCTAD Discussion Papers 210, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
    15. Mehmet Huseyin Bilgin, 2019. "Trade Liberalization: Is It Desirable for All Developing Economies?: A Literature Review," Research in World Economy, Research in World Economy, Sciedu Press, vol. 10(3), pages 199-204, December.
    16. Sahana Roy Chowdhury, 2013. "Wealth inequality, entrepreneurship and industrialization," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 108(1), pages 81-102, January.
    17. Batavia, Bala & Nandakumar, Parameswar, 2017. "The equivalence of export subsidies and import tariff reductions in a macroeconomic model," The Journal of Economic Asymmetries, Elsevier, vol. 15(C), pages 76-80.
    18. Pema Khandu, 2014. "Impact of trade liberalization on economic growth in small developing economies: Bhutan as a case study," Asian Journal of Empirical Research, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 4(5), pages 263-278, May.
    19. John Bosco Nnyanzi & Susan Kavuma & John Sseruyange & Aisha Nanyiti, 2022. "The manufacturing output effects of infrastructure development, liberalization and governance: evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 49(2), pages 369-400, June.
    20. De Silva, Nirodha & Malaga, Jaime E. & Johnson, Jeffrey W., 2013. "Trade Liberalization Effects On Agricultural Production Growth: The Case Of Sri Lanka," 2013 Annual Meeting, February 2-5, 2013, Orlando, Florida 143106, Southern Agricultural Economics Association.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bcp:journl:v:8:y:2024:i:1:p:2137-2165. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Dr. Pawan Verma (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.