Parliament cajoled to ratify African Free Trade Area as Ghana eyes secretariat

Members of Parliament are being impressed upon to ratify the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement to pave way for the possible hosting of its secretariat in Ghana. This among other reasons why parliamentarians were recalled from recess to sit on Thursday and Friday.  It would be difficult to situate the secretariat in Ghana because the trade agreement has not been ratified, though Ghana is a signatory to the agreement signed by some African heads of state in March this year in Kigali, Rwanda. Read: Ghana committed to Continental Free Trade – Akufo-Addo Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye reiterated that the ratification of the treaty would enable Ghana compete for the Secretariat to be in Ghana. The Minister of Trade and Industry Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen who was in the house said the Free Trade Area will constitute the single largest trading block in the world measured by the number of countries that are participating in the trading block. He noted that Ghana has played and will continue to play a leading role in the negotiations of the agreement of the Continental Free Trade Area, reemphasizing Ghana’s commitment to the integration agenda of the continent. Furthermore, he stressed that the implementation of the agreement will significantly expand opportunities for value added exports by Ghanaian manufacturers and business executives as well as enhancing the country’s export revenue earnings.

Mr. Alan Kyerematen told the august house that it is worth noting that Ghana has made a formal effort to host the Secretariat of the African  Continental Free Trade Area. The Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu also impressed upon the house that the first President of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah would be smiling in his grave upon coming into force of the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement. Meanwhile,  the Speaker of Parliament has referred the treaty to three committees of Parliament: the Trade and Industry, Foreign Affairs and Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committees for consideration and report . By Onua FM |Owoahene Omari Acheampong |editors.3news.com