National Committee President of the Borderless Alliance, Ziad Hamoui, has called on governments within the West African sub-region to collectively work towards the removal trade barriers that renders the regional corridors uncompetitive to trade.
In an interview with Maritimelivegh, at the launch of the 8th Borderless Conference in Accra, he said removing trade barriers was critical to the regional industrialization agenda as it would create a larger and freely-accessible market for locally produced goods.
He said: “If we want more traders to ship through the ports of Ghana, we need to show that the country has improved its competitiveness in trade, transport and infrastructure. That is the only way the country can reap the benefits of regional integration.
West Africa must seize the opportunity of the AfCFTA to drive its economic integration agenda by exploring both regional and international instruments of trade facilitation.”
Mr. Hamoui also reiterated the need for regional economies to streamline trade procedures and also facilitate the movement of people and goods at lower costs.
“Consequently, businesses will expand, jobs will be created and more revenue will be generated for government and more income for people,” he said.