Structural Policies (Cluster B) covers policies affecting trade, the financial sector, and the business environment. Overall, nine countries increased their average score in cluster B, while only four countries’ scores decreased, with the most movement in financial sector management. It is reassuring to see that three countries received upgrades compared to only one downgrade in trade policy ahead of the start of trading under the AfCFTA. Nevertheless, the imbalance between upgrades and downgrades was not enough to move the regional average score for structural policies, which remained steady at 3.2 in 2023.
