Source: Harriet Nartey
The French Ambassador to Ghana, Anne Sophie Ave, has said the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) will take more time to settle down as the regional integration policy in her view is yet to see some African countries deposit their instruments of ratification.
The AfCFTA, which came into full force on January 1, 2021 seeks to among others, harmonise 1.3 billion African population in a $3.4 trillion economic bloc with the hope that the agreement will become the largest free trade area since the establishment of the World Trade Organization.
However, the French Ambassador to Ghana in an interview with Harriet Nartey on Pan African Television’s Diplomatic Affairs programme last Saturday noted that the deal is more complicated than many think.
“It seems to be very easy. Truth is it’s a bit complicated because you really want to protect some products.
You want to protect a part of your industry. Each country has specifics that they want to keep. How do you do with your currency? How do you do with the infrastructures? If you say you want to trade more amongst yourselves
but you don’t have the proper infrastructures, how do you do that?” she quizzed.
Although these may be some imminent challenges facing the smooth roll out of the AfCFTA, the ambassador opined that “there is a path to get there and that is where we are ready to help. We want to partner with these countries”.
Commenting on whether Africa should be drawing lessons from the European Union, Anne Sophie Ave called for the agreement to be developed to suit the unique opportunities and challenges in Africa while liaising with other economic blocs to pick up vital lessons that could give further boost to intra-Africa trade.
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