Ghana National AfCFTA Policy framework and action plan to undergo review 

Review of the National African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Policy Framework and Action Plan is expected to begin early next year, Mr Benjamin Asiam, the Acting Coordinator of the National AfCFTA Coordination Office, said. 

The policy document was developed in August 2022 to help increase Ghana’s share of intra-African trade through a stable policy environment that stimulates private sector development. 

Mr Asiam said the review had been necessitated by the introduction of eight other protocols since the introduction of the protocol on trade in goods under the trade area. 

“It is imperative we review the document to take on board the other protocols,” he said in an interview during the national dialogue on AfCFTA Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade. 

This was adopted in February 2023 by the Committee on Trade and approved by the AU Assembly in February 2024. 

The event was facilitated by the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). 

Mr Asiam said the role of women and youth in the Micro Small Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) could not be overlooked, especially within the context of the Ghanaian economy. 

“We need to take away the constraints that they face for them to be effective. If we can take away the constraints, the economy will do well,” he added. 

Mr Asiam called for the strengthening of capabilities to collect and use sex-and -age disaggregated trade data to ensure that policy interventions are well-intended and effectively targeted to address needs on specific groups. 

“We must build a robust national trade data systems, enabling evidence-based monitoring of how women and youth are engaging with AFcFTA markets,” he said. 

Madam Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, the Minister of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, in a speech read on her behalf, said Ghana welcomed the protocol and remained committed to advancing a structured and inclusive roadmap for its implementation. 

She called for inclusive participation hinged on effective collaboration among stakeholders to ensure that Ghana derived the optimum benefit from the continental trade agreement. 

Mr Niloy Banerjee, the Resident Representative of UNDP Ghana, said his organisation recognised the AfCFTA as a pathway to inclusive growth. 

It has, therefore, embarked on key initiatives to improve the readiness of Ghanaian businesses to compete effectively on the continent. 

Those initiatives, he mentioned, to included building MSME capacities for export readiness and market expansion and supported the participation of Ghanaian businesses in major trade fairs across Africa. 

It also invested in research on non-tariff barriers, digital platforms and regulatory environments to inform policy and strengthen the business ecosystem. 

Source: GNA 

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