[ad_1]
By Christopher Arko, GNA
Accra, July 11, GNA – Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta,
Minister of Finance, said that the hosting by Ghana of the secretariat of the
The African Continental Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) would create an opportunity to
the country to become the pole of investment and facilitation of the trade in Africa.
According to him, continental free trade
Area that would be the largest trading block in the world with a GDP of about 3 US dollars
billion and 1.3 billion people would begin the economic emancipation of
people on the continent.
Mr. Ofori-Atta emphasized the point of view
contribution to a statement by Mr. Alan Kyerematen, Minister for Trade and
The Parliament Assembly, in Accra, on AfCFTA and Ghana's Politics
selection to host the Secretariat.
The creation of a single continental market for
Africa had long been the dream of the founding fathers of most of the great
country of the continent.
The 1991 Abuja Declaration of the
Authority of Heads of State of the Organization of African Unity Considered
the creation of an African Economic Community. One of the building blocks
for the creation of this community was the creation of a Continental Free
Trade Zone for Africa.
Achieving the vision of a single
The market only materialized at the AU Summit of Heads of State and Government.
Government in January 2012, which officially approved the decision to create
an African continental free trade zone. Since this decision was adopted,
thorough preparations and negotiations have been carried out by the Member States,
finally resulted in the landmark decision of the AU summit in Kigali on March 21st
2018, to officially conclude the first phase of negotiations for the continent
Free trade Agreement.
Mr. Ofori-Atta also noted that since
Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and the work he has done for the OAU, now the African Union
(UA), AfCFTA is the first important AU body in the process of becoming
organized by Ghana.
He congratulated the goal and
unity in the approach of the former presidents of Ghana to get there,
with thumbs for president Nana Akufo-Addo for working hard to convince her
colleagues from Heads of State to support Ghana's candidacy.
Mr. Alan Kyerematen at a briefing in the House,
invited Ghana to seize the opportunity to host the AfCFTA Secretariat for
become the new commercial capital of Africa, a regional trade hub and a
epic center as well as new gateway to the mainland.
He stated that the Secretariat's welcome would be
promote Ghana as an attractive investment destination and actively facilitate
foreign direct investment in the country.
He stated that the Secretariat's welcome would be
provide opportunities to recruit many Ghanaian professionals and administrators
staff working at the secretariat.
Mr. Clement Kofi Humado, Member of Parliament for Anlo, stated
that AfCFTA would change the game in that the current
North-South trade relations where Africa trades more with Europe than among
it itself had to evolve gradually towards the trade between them.
He said the CFTA would help catalyze the
existing regional blocks and pushing them to act to fulfill their obligations
regional objectives.
He also greeted President Nana Akufo-Addo,
the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the team for their lobbying skills to ensure that
Ghana has been chosen to host the AfCFTA Secretariat in Accra.
GNA
Source link
