About GITFIC

About GITFIC

Africa’s journey towards an integrated and prosperous continent attained an important milestone on May 30th, 2019 with its participation in the Agreement, establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Africa’s integration agenda is expected to increase intra-African trade and investment to generate economic growth, create more job opportunities for millions, and provide opportunities for women and youth entrepreneurs. This provides a key pathway for regional trade integration as it seeks to improve rural infrastructure and trade related capacities for market access in order to transform trade and sustain inclusive growth and also, by enhancing markets and value chains.

In 2020, the Ghana International Trade & Finance Conference (GITFIC) held its fourth major conference in Accra in partnership with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) where ACCRA was officially declared the COMMERCIAL CAPITAL OF AFRICA in line with the AfCFTA. The commercialization of Accra as the capital of Africa refers to improving intra-African trade in goods and services to accelerate a continental free trade area and transitioning it into a continental common external tariff scheme.

Ghana International Trade & Finance Conference (GITFIC) believes that reducing tariffs alone is not sufficient to boost intra-regional trade: factors other than tariffs make trading goods particularly costly for African countries and likely, contribute to regional trade gaps.

ACCRA, COMMERCIAL CAPITAL OF AFRICA
Over the years, Accra has developed the right policies and the enabling environment to represent both an investment destination and gateway to the African markets. In demonstrating commercial and economic resilience, Accra has exhibited that our trade liberation has brought tremendous growth thereby making it an excellent model to be commercialized as the CAPITAL OF AFRICA.

The hosting of the permanent secretariat of the AfCFTA in Accra, the city of Accra will have a greater role to play in the successful outcome of the continental trade, and it will be required to provide leadership in investment, commerce, social cohesion and solidarity, social equity, and environmental development among African cities.

Ghana International Trade & Finance Conference (GITFiC) is working with the private sector and the Government sector in the sub region and the continent at large to drive the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) and broader development agenda of the continent as defined in the A.U. (Agenda 2063) and global trade issues at large. We are convinced that the three thematic basic areas of our services i.e.Trade, Trade Finance, and Logistics are the fundamentals in articulating ways of enhancing intra Africa trade, regional integration, trade liberalization, trade policies, and practices of the African continent. In our work, we focus on staying current with the business environment in Ghana and beyond using knowledge not only from domestic resources but also from the African Continent as well. This connection of knowledge from the local and continental business environments i.e. business executives, policy makers, and subject matter experts seems to be the right direction to exhilarate the business communities in Africa and also serve as a major driving force moving Africa as a bloc in the global trade. We believe that policies based on regional and economic integration are the pillars of success.

The Ghana International Trade & Finance Conference (GITFiC) is indigenously Ghanaian and legally carries its mandate under the laws and regulations of Ghana. GITFiC has acquired an extensive recognition in its agenda of promoting the role financial and trade institutions play through their Modus Operandi, which are very imperative for the smooth run of the AfCFTA and other Trade Agreements. GITFiC, since its inception in 2016 has supported the agenda for the creation of a Single Continental Payment platform where all financial transactions will be carried out on the AfCFTAplatform.Our Annual Conference and Monthly Research Reports, we believe, are filling the private-gap and driving private and government sector participation to affirm and cement Ghana’s Role in Hosting the Secretariat. GITFiC has also taken the lead in educating, informing, and exposing both the Government and Private Sector Players to the vast opportunities the AfCFTA and any other Trade Agreement bring.

OUR SCOPE
Working in collaboration with development partners and the Ghanaian government, we play a lead role in educating, informing and exposing both the Government and Private Sector Players to the vast opportunities theAfrican Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) and any other Trade Agreement bring and also open up dialogues on a series of contentious issues that has the potential to derail the process.

We do sharpen the trade research agenda through regional sensitization of trade policies. For this reason, we cooperate with highly influential and respectable organizations, financial institutions, business executives, government, and trade experts in Ghana and abroad, as well as other specialists in areas that require specific knowledge and qualifications. We are capable of setting up a team of advisors who are able to act immediately.

KEY OBJECTIVES
1. To educate, inform, and expose the regional business communities to be in sync with AFCFTA and spell out the opportunities it brings to them
2. To promote Accra, the Commercial Capital of Africa
3. Policy think tank and coordinating authority with a strict focus on trade, finance, and logistics responsible for articulating evidence-based policy options on trade
4. Monitoring, and assessing trade trends
5. Enhancing inter African trade and regional integration
6. Shaping the trade research agenda through sensitization

OUR ACHIEVEMENTS
Due to its stellar reputation and equally impressive attention to detail over the past 5 years, GITFiC is credited to organizing Annual International Conferences on Trade, Trade Finance, and Logistics which has transformed into a Pan-African Conference with support from various agencies both in the public (BoG, MoT, MoF, Regional Finance blocs, Pan-African Finance Institutions, etc.), private sector (Association of Ghana Industries, Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders, Federation Association of Ghana Exporters, Private Enterprise Federation, Federation Association of Ghanaian Exporters et al) and international organization (GIZ). The unique feature of these annual conferences and seminars is its ability to dialogue on sharing experience, knowledge, education, et al surrounding the AfCFTA, Global Trade, Trade-Finance, Logistics, and its related antecedents. This dialogue is strictly an experience-sharing which uses brainstorming as a means of advancing the conversations on the various topical issues for better clarity and smooth sailing.

In 2017, the Ghana International Trade & Finance Conference (GITFIC) held its maiden conference in Accra at the Alisa Hotel in collaboration with the Private Enterprise Federation under the theme; Trade, Freight, and Finance. It was headline-sponsored by HERITAGE SECURITIES LTD.

Special Guests for 2017
– Mexican Ambassador to Ghana
– Deputy Ministry Trade Minister (Hon. Ahomka Lindsey)
– Director PPME Ministry of Trade & Industry
– Director PPME Ministry of Foreign Affairs
– Assistant Customs Commissioner
– Executive Secretary for Importers and Exporters
– Ghana International Trade Commission
– Vice President of FAGE
– Director of Shippers Authority
– Managing Director of Pan African Savings & Loans amongst a tall list of others

In 2018, the Ghana International Trade & Finance Conference (GITFiC) held its second edition at the Best Western Premium Hotel, Accra – Ghana. It was headline sponsored by RESCUE SHIPPING & ASIGAAME.COM

Special Guests for 2018
– Mexican Ambassador to Ghana
– Egyptian Ambassador to Ghana
– Ethiopian Ambassador to Ghana
– Namibian Ambassador to Ghana
– Mr. Poku-Kyei (Finance Ministry and Senior Minister’s Office) for the Senior Minister
– Deputy Netherlands Ambassador amongst a tall list of others

In 2019, the Ghana International Trade & Finance Conference (GITFIC) held its third major conference in Addis Ababa at the AU Headquarters, Ethiopia in partnership with the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations and the Ethiopian Embassy in Accra with a host of issues addressed including: “The role of intra Continental Free Trade Agreement”; “Equity Finance & Investment Financing in Africa”; “The need for Capital Market in Ethiopia and the way forward”; “The role of African Private Sector in Green Economy; The Case of Ghana” among other interesting topics. It was headline-sponsored by the JOSPONG GROUP, GPHA, and FREE ZONES AUTHORITY.

 

Special Guests for 2019

– H.E Ambassador Albert Muchanga (AU Trade & Industry Commissioner)
– Ethiopian Finance Minister
– Ethiopian Trade Minister
– Ethiopian Agriculture Minister
– Deputy CEO – Ethiopian Airlines
– UNECA Executive Director
– Director of Internal Audit (ECOWAS Bank for Investment & Development)
– Chief Investment Officer – Afrexim Bank
– CEO & Board Chairman – Africa Trade Bank
– Ghana Ports & Harbors Authority
– Ghana Free Zones Authority
– Association of Ghana Industries
– Assistance Commission of Customs amongst a tall list of others

In 2020, the Ghana International Trade & Finance Conference (GITFIC) held its fourth major conference in Accra in partnership with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly and the Association of Ghana Industries where ACCRA was officially declared the COMMERCIAL CAPITAL OF AFRICA in line with the AfCFTA under the theme: Optimizing AfCFTA for Africans: the Strategic Role of Logistics Infrastructure. It was headline-sponsored by AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT BANK (ADB).
Special Guests for 2020
– The Senior Minister of Ghana for H.E Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo, the President of Ghana
– H.E Ambassador Muchanga (AU Trade & Industry Commissioner)
– CEO of AGI
– Greater Accra Regional Chairman of AGI
– Chief Trade Negotiators on the AfCFTA for (Senegal, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Angola, Gambia)
– Deans of Universities (UG, UCC, KNUST, UPS)
– Chief Editors (Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana) amongst a tall list of others

The 5th conference on Trade and Finance in Accra saw top business executives in Ghana and officials from international organizations dialogue on the Pan African Payment System under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). The theme was ‘Facilitating Trade in AfCFTA; The Role of the Financial Services Sector’ with the sub-theme, ‘Creating an Enabling Macroeconomic Environment for AfCFTA; The Role of the Central Banks in Africa.’ It was headline sponsored by BANK OF AFRICA and GIZ SUPPORT PROJECT FOR THE AfCFTA.

Special Guests for 2021
– H.E Alhaji Dr. Bawumia for H.E the President of the Republic of Ghana
– H.E Ambassador Muchanga (AU Trade, Industry & Mining Commissioner)
– Central Bank Governor of Namibia
– Francophone West Africa Central Bank
– Francophone Central Africa Central Bank
– Africa Development Bank
– ECOWAS Bank for Investment & Development
– Director-General of West African Monetary Institute
– United States Ambassador to Ghana
– Namibian High Commissioner to Ghana
– Mexican Ambassador to Ghana
– Kenya High Commissioner to Ghana
– German Deputy Ambassador to Ghana amongst a tall list of others