Adhere to standardized goods, services to facilitate Continental Free Trade Area –Carlos Ahenkorah

Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry Carlos Ahenkorah has called on ECOWAS countries to adhere to the outlined standards for goods and services to facilitate speedy implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area.

 According to him, the African Continental Free Trade Area could be derailed if the issue of standardization of goods and services are not addressed in all countries.

“If trade between African countries will work out, standardization comes into play. I say this because if Ghana or any other country should hike up their standards and other countries are unable to keep pace then the process will be hindered. If this is not looked at then the African Continental Free Trade Area (ACFTA) might not work properly. We might encounter serious challenges.”

Ghana’s parliament in April 2018 gave its backing to the African Continental Free Trade Agreement, seeking to boost intra-Africa trade through the creation of a single market for goods and services.

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But speaking to Citi FM, Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry Carlos Ahenkorah called on stakeholders in the ECOWAS region as well as the rest of the continent to adhere to the outlined standards for goods and services to facilitate speedy implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area.

Carlos Ahenkorah, however, acknowledged that some progress was being made on the standardization front.

“Lo and behold we are fortunate as an ECOWAS region. The regional body has come out with a protocol that is accrediting or giving opportunity to ECOWAS countries to as it were set up quality systems to arrive at an accreditation board to look into standardization with shipments going into each other’s country. Once we have signed up unto this protocol it levels the playing field as to what I can take to your country and what you can bring into my country.”

www.primenewsghana.com/Ghana News