Tamale MSMEs in shea sector receive AfCFTA training to boost operation

The Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA) and the Global Shea Alliance have trained over 50 businesses operating in the shea industry in the Northern regions of the country.

The businesses were trained in the registration process under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) to enable them to take advantage of the export market, and to export duty-free and quota-free within Africa.

This was done as part of efforts by the two organizations to build the capacity of businesses in the northern part of the country to understand the ‘Rules of Origin’ regime in the AfCFTA and by that, position them to expand their operations on the continent.

The training which was held on Tuesday 18th April 2023 was the second in the series of capacity-building workshops on AfCFTA after a successful event in Accra on Friday 10th March 2023.

Speaking at the event, the CEO of the GSA, Ms. Benonita Bismarck noted that studies conducted have revealed that African countries stand to benefit enormously from the AfCFTA; therefore Ghanaian businesses, especially Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) must be equipped and positioned to trade favourably under the regime.

She said, “It is for this reason that this workshop has been organized to build the capacity of MSMEs in the shea business on market access options available under AfCFTA and the various tools being developed to engender inclusiveness in trading across the continent.”

The training provided information on the Shipper Complaints and Support Units of the GSA located at all the country’s entry and existing borders to provide real-time assistance and information to support the operations of cross-border traders.

The Head of Export at the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GNCCI), Mr. Charles Arthur Ntiri gave an in-depth presentation on the “Rules of Origin” for exporting and importing under AFCFTA and urged the business to consult and seek assistance when the need arises.

The training workshop was a collaboration between the Global Shea Alliance, the GSA and the USAID Feed the Future Ghana Trade and Investment (GTI) Activity. There are plans to replicate the training for shea producers in other parts of the country.