AfCFTA prospects huge but focus on transport and logistics – Alice Frimpomaa Boateng to young entrepreneurs

Founder of indigenous cosmetic line, AFB Golden Enterprise, Alice Frimpomaa Boateng has expressed exceptional optimism for the fortunes of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area, following her experience trading under the new dispensation. Yet, she is eager to see significant improvement in the available transport and logistic systems that support the trade.

Speaking to Kennedy Mornah on Eye on Port, Miss Boateng was full of praise for the smooth processes that led to significant sales during her participation under the special Guided Trade Initiative, however expressed worry for the unfavourable logistics and transport systems that will enable her trade cost effectively by herself.

The Guided Trade Initiative (GTI) was launched in Accra, Ghana on 7 October and seeks to allow commercially meaningful trading, and test the operational, institutional, legal and trade policy environment under the AfCFTA.

The eight countries participating in the GTI are Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Rwanda, Tanzania and Tunisia and represent five regions of Africa.

She said a collaboration between the AfCFTA Secretariat, the National Coordination Office of AfCFTA and the Ghana Export Promotion Authority helped her, and other local producers export, exhibit and sell goods in Kenya at no logistical cost.

“I happen to participate in the Ghana Expo 23 in Kenya where the Ghana Trade House was launched. What this means for my brand is the access to a wider market and an interaction with various industry players. We were able to sell almost half of the products we took under 24hrs. This tells us there is available market waiting. Only thing left is to supply the market with goods,” she recounted.

The Founder of AFB Golden Enterprise acknowledged AfCFTA’s role in promoting a producer mind-set, away from the consumer mind-set the youth have been used to. Thus, she called on authorities to create an enabling environment that will make moving goods across the continent easier for the youth.

“I have not experienced export by myself as everything was done for me, but I am looking forward to a day where I export on my own. Somewhere in the past, we had controversies getting clearance in Nigeria. We are looking forward to a time where it costs less to transport goods, while the safety of our goods are guaranteed, in timely fashion. We are looking forward for the bureaucracies to be minimized by 80%,” she expressed.

It’s no news that for many young entrepreneurs, it may cost an arm and a leg trying to ship wares across the continent, due to the inadequacy of intermodal transport systems and services in the continent.