Accra, Oct 10, GNA – Mr Alan Kyerematen, Minister of Trade and Industry, has called on African countries to put up institutional and logistical frameworks to optimise benefits of implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement (AfCFTA).
He said having institutional structures and a programme of action for boosting intra African trade would enable entrepreneurs to take advantage of the huge market provided by the agreement.
“We must ensure that we have the logistical support to ensure that we are able to move the goods from one country to another, ” he said.
Speaking at the launch of the Africa Guided Trade Initiative in Accra, the Minister said, “… AfCFTA is not just on paper but a reality. And we are moving from talk and negotiations to action. ”
The initiative was launched for seven member countries.
The countries, which have signaled their readiness to start trading under AFCFTA, are Tanzania, Mauritania, Kenya, Egypt, Cameroon, Rwanda, and Ghana.
Mr Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, said there would be more than 96 different products from the seven countries that would be freely traded duty-free and quota-free, under the rules of AfCFTA.
These approved products include horticultural products, pharmaceuticals, rubber, aluminum kitchenware, sugar, steel, and wooden products.
“This is the moment the founding mothers and fathers of the Organization of African Unity have longed for. We have finally honoured and made reality the vision of those who liberated our continent,” said Mr Mene.
He added that, “we are connecting East Africa to West Africa, North Africa to Southern Africa. Trade will be the driver of inclusivity, creating opportunities for young Africans. So we have taken the first journey today, and I hope in 15 years, we will have succeeded in lifting millions and millions of Africans out of poverty. ”
GNA