Mohammed Habibu TijaniDeputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Mohammed Habibu Tijani, has encouraged Ghanaian businesses to take advantage of the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS), which allows products originating from member states to be exported free of custom duties and other charges within the sub-region to promote business growth. The different levels of commitment and implementation of the protocols on trade and investment by individual member state is a case in point. “Unfortunately, when it comes to intra-African trade, generally, the statistics do not look appealing. Trade among African countries currently stands at about 16 percent, compared to 19 percent intra- regional trade in Latin America, 51 percent in Asia, 54 percent in North America and 70 percent in Europe,” he said. He stressed the need to work towards boosting trade among African countries in order to increase the potential for achieving sustainable economic development and deepening integration on the continent.

Source: The North Africa Journal June 07, 2018 10:52 UTC