News:
October 30, 2017
Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale Central, Inusah Abdallah Fuseini is advocating intra-African trade to help tackle poverty on the African continent.
He noted that relying on one sided screwed trade relationship between Africa and Europe is not benefiting Africa as whole.
“We need to encourage ourselves as developing countries, trade among ourselves, it will break down the trade barriers that prevent, African countries from trading among ourselves”, he said.
“You cannot imagen the kind of prosperity that will accompany, breaking down of borders in Ghana, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Togo and South Africa because we have the population but because of the restrictions for instance Ghana cannot export wax print to Nigeria.
And again there are many products that are in abundant here in Ghana but cannot get onto the African market”.
According to the Tamale Central legislator, trade and demand for goods and services will promote employment, industry will demand goods and services.
As people will move into agriculture to produce raw materials that the industries will need for their production.
He however lamented over the full potential of African in trade has not been taped, all because the European market have supply all around the world, the Caribbean’s produce Cocoa, so does Ghana and Ivory Coast.
Hence we are unable to determine the market and prices for goods.If we are able to diversify our source of market, it will go a long way to help Africa he, said.
Mr. Fuseini further explained that with the huge population of Nigeria if they are encouraged to consume cocoa products they cannot meet the demand, they have to fall on Ghana and Ivory Coast.
In which case Ghanaian farmers producing cocoa will not only be trading with Japan and Britain but will boost trade in the West African Sub-Region that will cut down on restrictions in trade within the Sub-Region and Africa at large.
By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com