Regional Seminars on AfCFTA

The 4th Ghana International Trade and Finance Conference (GITFIC) saw the Capital of Ghana; Accra declared as the COMMERCIAL CAPITAL OF AFRICA on the 27th of October 2020 and this is because the Headquarters of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area is situated in Accra which we believe opens the Commercial Gates for Accra therefore Ghana to spearhead the administration of a successful implementation of the AfCFTA. If the Headquarters is situated in Accra then Accra is obviously the Gateway for Commerce and Trade on the Continent. Legitimately so, Accra was declared the COMMERCIAL CAPITAL OF AFRICA by the 4th Ghana International Trade & Finance Conference (GITFIC).

This declaration was done by the Senior Minister of the Republic of Ghana; Hon. Ing. Yaw Osafo-Maafo on behalf of the Government of Ghana, The Mayor of Accra; Hon. Mohammed Adjei-Sowah, The Association of Ghana Industry and Industry Titans who were present at the 4th GITFIC.

In advancing the cause of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement; A Nation Wide Sensitization program was initiated by GITFIC in Partnership with the Ministry of Trade & Industry, Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana International Trade Commission, Association of Ghana Industry and the Bank of Ghana.

The main objective for this Nation Wide Sensitization program was to reach out to the remaining 15 regions of Ghana (we clustered closer proximity regions) in getting the Business Communities within these Regions to be in sync with the Opportunities the AfCFTA brings to them. This initiative was also reiterated by the Senior Minister of Ghana who represented the President and Government of Ghana.

GITFIC proceeded to assemble a strong Panel of 5 ie; The Senior Technical Advisor and the Chief Trade Negotiator of Ghana at the Ministry of Trade and Industry (Mr. Anthony Kwasi Nyame-Baafi), Director of International Relation and Cooperation Section of the Ghana Immigration Service (Superintendent Simon Asare), Director of FINTECH and Innovation of the Bank of Ghana (Mr. Kwame Oppong), Mr. Bernard Manu Afreh of the Ghana International Trade Commission (Senior Technical Planner) and Greater Accra Chairman of the Association of Ghana Industry (Mr. Tsonam Cleanse Akpeloo).

The above were the resource fellows we went round the Country with to Educate, Inform, Sensitize and Expose the Business Community on the Advantages and Opportunities the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement brings to Ghanaians and the expectations.

The Bank of Ghana made use of the platform and sensitized the Business Community on the Single Continental and Digital Payment Platforms expected to drive the AfCFTA’s agenda and how the Bank of Ghana was playing critical role within the Sub-Region in making this happen.

Kumasi, the Regional Capital of the Ashanti Region of Ghana took lead in being the first Region for us to organize our Regional Seminar on the AfCFTA. We partnered with the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly and the Association of Ghana Industry in Kumasi to pull this off successfully on the 15th of February 2021.

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Ghana’s only Major Twin City;- Sekondi Takoradi of the Western Region came second with our Regional Seminars on the AfCFTA. We clustered the Western North to Takoradi. We partnered with the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly to pull this off on the 19th of February 2021.

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On the 5th of March 2021, the Volta Regional Capital HO was our third stop. We clustered the Oti Region with HO for the Seminar on the AfCFTA. We partnered with the HO Municipal Assembly to pull this off. As usual, it was well attended and for the first time, the Q & A session took more than 2hrs.

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The Flower City of Ghana, Koforidua in the Eastern Region of Ghana had its fair share on the 12th of March 2021. We partnered with the New Juaben South Municipal Assembly and other Trade Associations to get this done. It was widely attended with Municipal and District Chief Executives from all over the Region also participating. We had another 2hrs of Q & A alone.

 

 

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The Northen Regional Capital, tamale is expected to follow suit. Our Steering Committee is still looking through an appropriate data to announce to the Business Community there. We will cluster the Upper West and east Region to the North East and Savannah regions to pull off this very one.

Accra, Commercial Capital of Africa is supported by:

1. The Bank of Ghana

2. The National Investment Bank

3. The B5 Plus Group