The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) says it has made substantial progress in the establishment of a regional framework on trade in services, local media cited a COMESA official as saying on Monday.

COMESA secretary general Erastus Mwencha said the establishment of the framework would make it easier for individuals and business involved in intellectual trade within COMESA region and outside.

Speaking at the opening of an art exhibition over the weekend, Mwencha said the framework would be ready for consideration during the forthcoming COMESA summit in May this year.

"We will soon launch a regional framework on trade in services, and this is where art will be anchored," Mwencha was quoted by Zambia Daily Mail as saying.

"We are hopeful that the framework will make it easier for our artists and other people involved in the business of intellectual property to negotiate better deals and to develop their business," he added.

Mwencha said the framework would also assist artists and other people involved in trading in services to relocate and establish their business activities to countries where they would get a better return.

Source: Xinhua