News:
March 27, 2023
The third Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Regional Trade Facilitation Committee meeting has commenced in the capital of Ghana – Accra which brought together stakeholders in the trade sector from the West Africa sub-region both from government and private sector.
In a speech read on her behalf ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture Massandje Toure-Litse by acting director of trade Kolawole A. Sofola he noted that trade facilitation is not an option but imperative in the wake of the world experiencing unprecedented levels of instability including public health, geopolitical tensions, trade protectionism as well as other external shocks.
With severely disrupted international supply chain that had lead to among others inflation, food insecurity, unemployment its therefore important to point out the importance trade facilitation in deed trade facilitation appear to be one of the solutions mitigate some of these threats.
She recall the importance of the WTO trade facilitation agreement which aims to improve the movement of goods across borders by ensuring transparency, flexibility, simplification and of harmonisation of cross border trade transaction, as well as digitalisation and automation of clearing process at the borders, as the meeting is a continuation of their previous meetings, which pursue the operationalisation for the committee to play its role to deepen regional integration, boost inter regional trade in line with ECOWAS vision 2050.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com