The 6th Steering Committee for the 6th Conference on Trade & Finance will take place again in Ghana’s capital, Accra, on Monday, May 23 and 24 at the plush Alisa Hotel, North Ridge, Accra, the Commercial Capital of Africa.
The 6th Ghana International Trade and Finance Conference (GITFiC) 2022 seeks to update the evidence base of what is currently available in terms of reviewing the AfCFTA, data on digital trade, and in doing so, identifying potential options for estimating the value of Cross Border Payment & Settlement given the current data gaps.
The 6th Conference will, this year, consolidate the conversation from the 5th Conference on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the Role of Local Governance in helping with extensive sensitisation, education, and preparing the minds of the Business Communities within our Metropolitan, Municipal, and District localities.
The Vice President of VISA, MasterCard, Swift’s Senior Country Director for Western Africa, Chief Executive of Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications, Chief Executive of the Association of Micro-finance Institutions in Kenya, and the Regional Head of Société Général in West Africa based in Abidjan make up the first panel on Day One for discussion.
The theme for the Day will be: ‘Towards an Effective and Efficient Mobile Money Transactional Penetrations in Africa; A Catalyst to solving Cross Border Payment & Settlement, an Anticipated-Barrier within the AfCFTA; The Role of Financial Regulators and Stakeholders’.
The second day of the 6th Conference on Trade and Finance, christened ‘the Trade Minister’s Panel’ will see some selected Trade Ministers within the continent joining the conclave.
The theme for the second day will be: ‘Measuring the Acceptability and Adaptation Level of the AfCFTA on the African Continent a Year after Implementation of the 1st Phase;- Where do we stand in terms of Trade in Goods, Trade in Service, and Dispute Resolution Protocols (Policy Direction) with focus on the Role of Africa’s Local Governance Structures in preparing their various Business Communities to take advantage’.
The final panel discussion on Day 2 is on the theme: ‘Leveraging on the pillars of Trade-Finance – A catalyst for Industrial Growth and Acceleration Post Pandemic; the Role of Payment, Financing, Risk Mitigation, and Access to Information’.
This final panel will seek to address current woes facing industries due to the prolonged restrictions on the COVID pandemic, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, and the post pandemic – the available finance options for industry.
The Vice President of the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development, the Head of Trade Finance at the African Development Bank, the Ivorian President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Special Advisor to the Ivorian President of the Federation of SMEs comprise the third panel.
Special invited guests include the African Union Economic Commissioner for Trade, Industry, and Mining.
The Director General of the West African Monetary Institute will lecture on a special presentation on the entire scope of the implementation of the Pan African Payment and Settlement System, an undeniable critical component of the Continental Free Trade Area.
The 6th conference will be attended by the diplomatic corps. They will represent their various countries and also contribute to the rich discussions.
Representing Ghana’s industry will be Tsonam Cleanse Akpeloo, the Greater Accra Chairman of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI).
Other participants include the Ghana International Trade Commission, GUTA, Ghana Canada Chamber of Commerce and others.
There are confirmed delegations from Kenya, Angola, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, among other nations.
The two-day conference will be hosted and moderated by Prince Moses Ofori-Atta of Asaase Radio and Mr. Tajudeen Nasiru of the West African Monetary Institute (retired).
The 6th Conference, in observing the Covid-19 practical protocols laid down by the Government of Ghana through the Ministry of Health, will strictly enforce all protocols to the letter.
The Conference is strictly by invitation.
Source: 3news.com|Ghana