Workshop to enhance small scale border trade in West Africa held in Accra
A 2-day stakeholder workshop on promoting small scale cross border trade, rule of law, and use of technology in West Africa has been held in Accra.
The program organised by the POS Foundation, in partnership with Ghana International Trade Commission, with support from German International Organization, GIZ, brought together key private and public sector players in trade from Ghana, La Cote D’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin and Nigeria.
The workshop sought to provide a platform for trade stakeholders to converge, dialogue, and identify challenges and prospects existent within small scale cross border trade in those selected West African countries.
During the opening ceremony, Executive Director of the POS Foundation, Jonathan Osei Owusu, underscored the need for the harmonization of standards and systems within the subregion, to enhance the flow of trade.
He said, “for example, we can have one system that will communicate systems of immigration in Ghana can communicate with that of Burkina Faso and Togo. That is the united systems of African and Technology we are advocating for.”
The CEO of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise in Nigeria, Dr. Muda Yusif, called for improved enthusiasm from governments in the subregion towards the removal of non-tariff barriers to trade.
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He lamented that, “the greatest problem that we face in cross-border trade is non-tariff barriers, multiple check points, arbitrary levies, arbitrary import duties, border closures and extortion. Also, policy inconsistencies and poor levels of economic policy convergence necessary for proper integration. This is something that is common across the countries in the sub region. All of us present here are largely private sector and it looks like we are talking to ourselves. Those that can really make the difference are the key government agencies in terms of institutions, in terms of policy, and in terms of investment and infrastructure.”
The Guest of Honor, and Chairman of the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme Task Force, Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas lamented the current state of intra-West Africa trade.
“Intra EU trade is around 68%. In Asia it is also around 65%. So, if ours is hovering at 15%- 20% it means that we are punching way below our belt, we can do more, and we should do more. And if we do more it only means that we are producing more, we are creating more opportunities for the traders to earn more, and opportunities to employ our young people and we will prosper as a region,” he said.
