Gov’t and businesses preparing hurriedly for the Continental Free Trade

Adnan Adams
Mohammed
As pressure begins
building up to commence the implementation of the African Continental Free
Trade Area (AfCFTA) headquartered in Accra, the Ghanaian government and
businesses are hurriedly preparing to take full advantage of this free trade.
The government has
disclosed that, it is developing a National Programme of Action (NPA), which is
to be ready within the next three months.
The National
Programme of Action will form the basis for implementation of AfCFTA as there
will be timelines associated with each set of activity. This will come with a
national coordinating office that would plan, direct and coordinate all the
AfCFTA implementation activities in the country.
"We need to
go to all regions for example, to get a sense of their own understanding of the
AfCFTA and what the expectations they have from government to help them to be
able to take advantage of this. So we will do a series of consultations around
the country," the Minister of Trade and Industry, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen
disclosed when speaking at the closing ceremony of the three-day national
conference in Accra.
In this direction,
Ghanaian businesses have been told to take advantage of the Free Continental
Free Trade.
“This is one of
the best things to happen to the continent of Africa and we are excited and
keen to have it. To think about a creation of a market size of 1.2 billion in terms of population
and 2.5 trillion in terms of its value, then we have to be excited and brace
ourselves up for it”, The President of the Ghana Union of Traders Association(GUTA),
Dr. Joseph Obeng has said.
GUTA described the
AFCFTA as one of the best things to ever happen to Africa on an Eye on Port
panel discussion live on national television, and urged Ghanaian traders to
begin to strategize towards creating a strong supply chain for the rest of
Africa.
“In the supply
chain, we do not only want to position ourselves at the receiving end only. If
we are talking about 1.2 billion people, we should think about how we can
strategize to supply to this chunk. We have to establish brands, because now we
are looking within Africa to provide alternative goods,” Mr Obeng said.
GUTA defined the
‘no duty’ element in trade within the African space of the AFCFTA as the most
pleasant to traders, as they have persistently cried about the burden of duty
charges.
“There’s not going
to be a barrier of duties; something we have been crying about. If we are able
to get the same goods here without paying duties, for the same price which
otherwise we have been paying huge duties for, then of course everybody would
be excited,” he praised.
Dr. Joseph Obeng
urged Ghana's government to focus on the development of the production of goods
that have high yielding potential for the country, because that would attract
business with other countries, more effectively. “We should know as a country
where we have our competitive advantage, like cocoa. With the coming of the
AfCFTA, let us dwell on the areas like this to invest in,” he entreated.
He bemoaned of the
unavailability of a clear cut law within the protocol, that curbed the problem
of migration as opposed to trade, which according to him, has been a challenge
which Ghanaian traders are facing and asked for its immediate addressing.
“We should be
clear. If we are looking for a commonwealth, by trade, we should do that, but
if we are looking to fuse everybody as a whole like the United States, then we
should be clear on that,” he lamented.
Also, some
recommendations made at the end of the 3-day conference to boost intra-Africa
were read to participants which include the need to promote maritime transport.
"For us to be
effective in trade, there is the need for us to look into trade-related
infrastructure. And on, trade related infrastructure, there is the need to
promote maritime transport, there is the need for the reduction in the cost of
air transport, the need to enhance air transport connectivity among African
states and the need to enhance railway connectivity across Africa, Joseph
Atta-Mensah, the Principal Policy Advisor, Macroeconomics and Governance
Division of UNECA opined.
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