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President Cyril Ramaphosa says a new continental online platform will help
African countries to access critical medical supplies needed to fight the
COVID-19 pandemic.
The
President, in his capacity as the Chairperson of the African Union (AU),
said this when he launched the Africa Medical Supplies Platform on Thursday,
18 June 2020.
¡§Through this platform, we will address shortages and security of supply,
ensure price competitiveness and transparency in procurement, reduce
logistical delays, simplify payment processes and provide a common platform
where governments can access services from quality and certified suppliers.
¡§Think of it as the Amazon, the Alibaba or even the eBay of Coronavirus
resources on the African continent, made in Africa by Africans, the
fundamental difference being that on this platform, the buyer is not an
individual but governments,¡¨ he said.
The Africa Medical Supplies Platform, developed in partnership with African
Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), is a non-profit initiative launched by the
AU as an immediate, integrated and practical response to the COIVD-19
pandemic.
The online platform was developed under the leadership of AU Special Envoy,
Strive Masiyiwa, and powered by Janngo, on behalf of the AU¡¦s Africa Centres
for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
Afreximbank will facilitate payments, while logistics partners, including
African national carriers and global freight forwarders, will expedite
delivery.
A strong emphasis is also placed on showcasing and funding "Made in Africa"
manufacturers of medical equipment, with relevant certification.
Afreximbank brought to bear its US$3 billion Pandemic Trade Impact
Mitigation Facility, of which US$200 million has been reserved to support
food production, as well as the manufacture of and trade in medical
equipment and supplies.
Countries to get competitive prices by cutting out the middle
man
Launching the platform in a virtual media briefing, the President said
countries would be able to source supplies directly from manufacturers in
both the necessary quantities and at competitive prices.
¡§Once a vaccine is available, it too will be added to this portal, in line
with our stated commitment to ensuring there is equitable access to any form
of life-saving medication.
¡§Resources will be secured by governments on a quota basis determined by,
among other things, vulnerability level.
¡§The benefits of resource pooling in such a manner are innumerable.¡¨
He said countries would have ready access to an online marketplace at the
click of a button, as opposed to the onerous and time-consuming process of
scouring the globe to procure these medical supplies.
The President said connecting manufacturers and suppliers with governments
directly removed the ¡§middle man¡¨ in supply chain processes that far too
often become the doorway through which corrupt practices, like price
inflation and ¡§agent management fees¡¨ enter.
¡§By pooling the needs of the continent, we manage to achieve quantities of
scale and present suppliers with a large and assured market.
¡§Finally, and arguably most importantly, with this platform, we are laying
another building block towards the African Continental Free Trade Area,
whose launch has been delayed by the pandemic,¡¨ he said.
¡V Source: SAnews.gov.za |