ECOWAS trade suffering from failure to implement protocols

Aflao, Aug. 05, GNA - Ms Hannah Tetteh, the Minister of Trade and Industry, has called for the removal of bottlenecks impeding the implementation of ECOWAS protocols.

She said the failure to implement the instruments on the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS) for example was affecting economic growth in the sub-region.

Ms Tetteh said this at the launch of the Border Information Centres at Aflao and Kojoviakorfe in Ghana and Togo respectively on Thursday.

The Centres would provide information on trade and border procedures.

These Centres, initiated and sponsored by USAID West Africa Trade Hub, seeks to support the private sector, reduce supply chain cost for exporters and increase their national governments’ competitiveness towards job creation and poverty reduction.

Ms Tetteh said the business community preferred efficient and hassle-free locations to locations that are bureaucratic, corrupt and costly.

“While total ECOWAS exports by 2009 estimates amounted to a whopping 70 billion dollars, intra-ECOWAS trade was only at a regrettable six billion dollars”, she said.

Ms Tetteh commended the USAID Trade Hub for establishing the information Centres which she said fell within the government’s pursuit of enhancing trade by removing all barriers.

Mrs. Dzifa Attivor, the Deputy Minister of Transport who inaugurated the Aflao Centre, said efforts by the trade hub and the Ghana Shippers Authority at educating transporters on road regulations and other stakeholders on unapproved road charges and delays were commendable.

She said the government was aware of road harassments, high transport cost and other difficulties and remained on course to addressing them.

Mr Kwesi Ahoomey-Zunu, Togolese Minister of Commerce, conceded that it was time the aims of the ECOWAS founding fathers were fully implemented to the advantage of the citizens of the sub-region.

Ms Vanessa Adams, Director of USAID Trade Hub, said the next information Centre would be opened between Senegal and Mali ahead of others based on the encouraging performance at Aflao and Kojoviakorfe.

Togbi Amenya Fiti V, Paramount Chief of Aflao and his Kojoviakorfe counterpart, Togbi Kojovia de-Souza, called for the permanent opening of the Aflao border to enhance free movement of people, goods and services.