Past Conferences
2023 – Past Conference
The 7th Conference was under three themes;
Day 1 – Topic: Finance under the theme; Sovereign Economic Vulnerabilities; An Endorsement for a Single Trading Currency for Africa – with ECOWAS as a case study.
Day 2 (First Panel) – Topic: Trade and Healthy Investment under the theme; Actualising Africa’s Industralisation Agenda in the era of the AfCFTA; The Role of Africa’s Small and Medium Scale Enterprises.
Day 2 – (Second Panel) Topic: A Review of the Implementation of the AfCFTA; Towards an African Centered AfCFTA Disputes Settlement Protocol.
Panelists included; The African Union, ECOWAS, West African Monetary Institute, Ghana Free Zones Authority, Association of Ghana Industries, King of Akwamuman, Eastern Regional Minister, Namibia’s Ministry of Trade & Industry, Ghana’s Ministry of Justice etc…
As usual, delegates were from over 16 African countries from the Finance, Economic and Trade sectors. The 7th Conference was headline partnered by the Volta River Authority and supported by the Ghana Free Zones Authority with special appearance by the Ghana Highway Authority.
2022– Past Conference:
The 6th Ghana International Trade and Finance Conference (GITFiC) 2022, seeks to update the evidence base of what is currently available in terms of reviewing the AfCFTA, data on digital trade, and in doing so, identify potential options for estimating the value of Cross Border Payment & Settlement given the current data gaps.
The 6th Conference will this year consolidate the conversation from the 5th Conference on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the Role of Local Governance in helping with extensive sensitization, education and preparing the minds of the Business Communities within our Metropolitan, Municipal and District localities.
2021 – Past Conference:
2020 – Past Conference:
In 2020, the Ghana International Trade & Finance Conference (GITFIC) partnered the Association of Ghana Industries and the Accra Metropolitan Assembly. The Conference was organized at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra on the 27th and 28th of October. The President of Ghana was represented by the Senior Minister of Ghana Hon. Ing. Yaw Osafo-Maafo. The HIGHLIGHT of the Conference was when the Mayor of Accra Hon. Mohammed Adjei Sowah joined the Senior Minister of the Republic of Ghana and Industry giants to DECLARE ACCRA THE COMMERCIAL CAPITAL OF AFRICA. This was done by the virtue of Accra of HOSTING the Secretariat of the Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The Conference was dubbed the AfCFTA Edition. The Steering Committee saw a gap between Industry and the entire Continental Free Trade Area agenda. The issues of adequate information, knowledge and understanding of the Continental Free Trade was lacking not only in Ghana but the Continent at large.
The Business Committee were largely oblivious of how to take advantage, the media had no education hence passing on information to the general public lacked accuracy and content. These were some of the reasons we decided to assume that position and use our widely attended Conference to serve as the bridge. The success of the 2020 Conference was incomparable to the earlier ones including the Addis Ababa Conference in 2019. The Excitements on the faces of the Chief Executives and Managing Directors and Senior Associations who attended the Conference gave us a fulfilled impression of our efforts. The next line of action after the declaration of Accra as the Commercial Capital of Africa is to move the education to segmental round table mini conference across the other 15 regions of Ghana with strategic Speakers. We will then travel to all the Capital Cities of Ratified Countries to stamp the Authority of the declaration and extend the education on the Continental Free Trade Area. The Private Sector will drive the AfFCTA and we take pride in leading this charge.
2019 – Past Conference:
In 2019, the Ghana International Trade & Finance Conference partnered the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations. The conference was held in Addis Ababa at the African Union Headquarters. The 2019 conference was supported by the Ethiopian Embassy in Ghana and other Associations in Ghana. Speakers spanned from the African Continent, Europe and Asia. It was our usual 2days. H.E Albert Muchanga represented the African Union Commissioner to open the plenary. The Finance Minister of Ethiopia, UNECA, Ecowas Bank for Investment and Development in Lome, Togo, African Trade Bank in Nairobi, Kenya, Customs from Ghana, Ghana Ports & Harbors Authority, Trade Ministers and Experts, Finance Experts were among a tall list of Panel Speakers. Industry heavily participated.
2018 – Past Conference:
In 2018, the Ghana International Trade & Finance Conference was organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade & Industries, Ghana. The conference was held at the plush Best Western Premier Hotel in Accra, Airport Residential Area. Our conferences are always scheduled in April. Speakers included; The Mexican Ambassador to Ghana, The Ethiopian Ambassador to Ghana, The Egyptian Ambassador to Ghana, The Namibian Ambassador to Ghana, the Senior Minister of Ghana, the Deputy Head of Trade at the Netherlands Embassy in Ghana, The MD of Netherlands Chamber of Commerce in Ghana, The CEO of Venture Capital of Ghana, The Director of Shippers at the Ghana Shippers Authority amongst a tall list of other VIP speakers. Participants were from all sectors of the Ghanaian and International economy. We had great reviews from participants.
2017 – Past Conference:
In 2017, the Ghana International Trade & Finance Conference was organized in collaboration with the Private Enterprise Federation. The conference was held at the plush Alisa Hotel in Accra Ridge. Our conferences are always scheduled in April. We had a tall list of sector stakeholders which included the Mexican Ambassador to Ghana, Dep. Minister of Trade & Industries of Ghana, Heads of Financial Institutions and influential business executives within the government and private sector. The conference attracted participants from both the trade and finance sectors and business moguls within Ghana and the world. The two days event saw several exhibitors and an extensive media coverage.
