Trade Principal Secretary Alfred Ombudo has called on African countries to work on barriers hindering easy trade among countries in the region.
Speaking on Thursday during the Africa Day celebrations marked in Nairobi, Ombudo noted that Africa trades with the rest of the world more saying this has placed the continent at a disadvantaged position.
"We trade on commercial terms that are not ours. We trade on currencies that are not ours. We trade using financial institutions that are not on the continent and we perpetually own these things.
"It's time we revert back to the Africa Free Continental Trade Area (AfCTA) and we must take the most difficult steps to ensure that it happens," Ombudo said.
He said this can be achieved if African countries make movements in and out of member countries free.
"We need to make sure people and goods move into other countries freely. What use is it allowing goods to move freely while the owners cannot."
He called on African countries to make documentation and custom processes easy to understand as one of the ways of ensuring ease of trade.
Ombudo said if such issues are not addressed, it will not be easy to ease the process of doing business in Africa.
The PS added that the continent must also unite in the fight against climate change, insisting that it is affecting businesses, and investments, among other things.
He noted that Africa is the least contributor to climate change, but the biggest casualty.
"It is affecting business and investments. It is affecting our ability to do agriculture."
Present at the event was the Director General, Political and bilateral affairs in the ministry of Foreign and Diaspora affairs, United Nations representatives, Ambassadors from AU member countries and embassy representatives, among others.
The AU was marking its 60 years anniversary.
