The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Stephen Yakubu, has urged the players in the various sectors of the economy to collaborate to make African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) more productive and realistic.
The Minister made the appeal when Most Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Asante led a team from National African Peer Review Mechanism-Governing Council (NAPRM-GC) to call on him at his office in Bolgatanga last Thursday.
He said the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) needs to build its capacity to enable it to appreciate the laws of other countries in the sub-region.
Mr Yakubu urged the sub-regional leaders to hasten the steps towards the adoption of one currency in the area.
Addressing stakeholders in the region, Most Rev. Prof. Asante indicated that NAPRM-GC was enjoined to fashion out concrete, strategic policies to promote efficiency in corporate governance among business centres, something he said would enable them to take full advantage of AfCFTA.
He added that if the strategic policies are well followed, especially with precision, African trade would boom, adding that that would significantly impact the government’s much-anticipated industrialization agenda and the continent as a whole.
Prof. Asante also noted that the objective of the review was to undertake an in-depth examination and group analysis and find solutions to key corporate governance and intra-African trade issues.
That, he said, would help to facilitate the effective and efficient implementation of the Continental Free Trade Area in Ghana.
He also disclosed that African Peer Review Mechanism was facilitating eight regional-level engagements for the Targeted Review Mission team, namely Upper East, Northern, Bono-East and Ashanti. Others include Volta, Eastern, Central and Western Regions.
Bala Ali, ISD
