The role of the SADC Protocol on Trade in Services in regional integration

Abstract

Trade in Services can be described as a transaction between a supplier and a consumer without any physical movement of goods across international borders. This, in itself, presents major economic growth possibilities in both regional and multilateral terms. Regional trade agreements, if drafted to suit the specific region's strengths, can promote Trade in Services and establish regional integration. The fact that Trade in Services and regional integration, throughout the Southern African Development Community (SADC) specifically, is moving forward at such a slow pace is due to the lack of political ambition and policy makers failing to emphasise the establishment of trade specific regulatory coherence among member states. Given policy’s impact on Trade in Services, regional trade agreements must be designed to address new and emerging issues that, not only haven't been taken up in previous trade agreements, but which is also region specific and focused enough to build on new standards found in other new trade agreements that will boost regional integration. SADC countries are still in process of establishing a regional services market and, as it currently stands, major development possibilities still exist. This study compares the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) with SADC’s Protocol on Trade in Services (PTIS), with the goal to determine the principles that are necessary to establish a regional market for the integration of Trade in Services. It was found that the PTIS lacks such principles and that integration of services throughout the SADC region is highly unlikely if set forth in its current direction. The finding was that the establishment of regional integration of Trade in Services throughout SADC will have to start with regulatory coherence among its members.