News:
December 5, 2022
Liberia’s delegation to the Community Parliament on Saturday, December 3, 2022 in its country report presented by a member of its delegation to the plenary, Hon Clarence Massaquoi noted that they have made significant progress in the payment of its Community levy on monthly basis especially for the first quarter of 2022.
However, the Country continues to struggle in the payment of the Levy arrears and said amount is accumulating monthly as reconciled by the Community Levy Technical Mission in Liberia February 2022.
On the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS), the implementation continues during the year under review a number of registered companies under the scheme rose from 15 to 17 in 2022. Of the 17 enterprises, 15 are exporting active 40 products.
Since its adoption in 2017, the Common External Tariff (CET) considered a four year migration plan that ends in 2022.
However, the Monitoring Committee is yet to be constituted to ensure full compliance of Member States including Liberia. Liberia is yet to fully implement and operationalized the CET.
Additionally, the ECOWAS harmonized CET implementation is on-going as the region is, “negotiating the African Free Continental Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a bloc while granting the ETLS trade preference to its member countries”, he told the House.
As the country is continuously participating and complying with provision of the Protocols on Free Movement of Persons, Goods and Services and the Right to Residence and has conducted series of sensitization mission especially carried out by the ECOWAS National Office and other partners involved in the integration process.
Consequently, the ECOWAS Common Passport has been adopted, Visa-free movement of community citizens observed, a 90-day stay without residence permit implemented and a National Bio-metric Identity Card has been rolled out.
The Liberia’s Council of National Bureau of the ECOWAS Brown Card Scheme has completed the payment of 50.0 percent of its arrears to the Council of Bureau which was a pre–requisite for the lifting of their sanctions and partial waiver of their remaining debt.
Also the National Bureau has also regularized Liberia’s country contribution to the Council which puts the country in line to assume full membership role and benefits under the ECOWAS Brown Card scheme for 2022.
This has been possible through the successful implementation of the simultaneous sale of the Brown Card alongside the motor insurance stickers as agreed upon in Protocol A/P1/5/82 on the Establishment of the ECOWAS Brown Card relating to Motor Vehicle 3rd Party Liability Insurance.
The convention relating to the ECOWAS Inter-State Road Transit of Goods (ISRT) is being implemented by the Liberian authorities in line with the WTO TFA, but the major focus of the Scheme is on the implementation of the MRU Inter- State Road Transit Scheme within the framework of the MRU Truckers Association.
The Country is yet to establish and put in place the introduction of way-bridges. However, the country has issued and commenced the regulations of the Axel Load limit of 11.5 tones in compliance with the ECOWAS Supplementary Act of 2012.
And Liberia has signed the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) agreement between West Africa and European Union.
However, the Authorities are yet to commence domestication of the agreement pending the conclusion of the Agreement by ECOWAS.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com