African gov'ts chart path to free trade, travel

African governments are expected to sign a free trade agreement in 2017 that would make intra Africa travel easy for Africans.

Currently, visa restrictions have made it difficult for Africans to travel to other African countries to engage in business and recreational activities.

The agreement, which is dubbed the “Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA)”, is expected to eliminate tariffs and non tariffs barriers that impede on free movement of people, goods and services on the continent.

The CFTA represents a key African initiative which is to urgently move forward the continent’s long standing integration and developmental agenda.

It is also to redress the weakness of African economies with the global economic community that have been manifested in the inequality of gains suffered by Africa in the World Trade Organization and in bilateral trade agreements with international partners.

According to the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MOTI), the CFTA, would provide Ghanaian businesses an easy means of exporting their products and services to other African countries.

In an interview with Onua 95.1 FM, the Director of Foreign Relations at MOTI, Nyame Baafi, said the aim of government was to ensure that Ghanaian businesses expand to other African countries and create expatriate employment opportunities for Ghanaians in African countries.

He said if the CFTA is agreed by all 54 African countries, it would remove visa restrictions on Africans who wish to travel to other African countries.