Lagos – The Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) on Thursday called on African governments to enhance intra-trade links among their economies for accelerated development of the continent.
Mr Maxwell Osei-Kusi, Head of Ghanaian delegates to the 29th Lagos International Trade Fair, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that African economies could leverage on opportunities through integration.
He urged the governments to enhance and facilitate the removal of barriers to free flow of goods and services within African region.
“The businessmen are ready to do business together but the politicians and public servants are not ready to ensure the removal of trade barriers.
“The barriers have made trade within African sub-region uncompetitive as it is cheaper to trade with Europeans than Africans,’’ he said.
Osei-Kusi expressed regrets that complex and conflicting trade rules, cross-border restrictions and poor transport networks had stunted the growth of Africa’s intra-trade relationship.[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”70560″]
He urged policy makers in African countries to create the enabling legal, institutional, socio-economic and political environment that supports integration of economies.
He explained that the mission of the Ghanaian government at the trade fair was to boost export partnership that would enhance trade relationship between both countries.
NAN recalls that a recent research report by Ecobank showed that the bulk of the region’s trade is with Europe and America, only 12% is with other African countries.
By comparison, 60 per cent of Europe’s trade is within its own continent while that of North America is 40 per cent. (NAN)
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