The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have developed a document to guide Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) on implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The document which has been launched is expected to help MMDAs understand the benefit of AfCFTA at the local level and encourage businesses in their areas to be able to trade effectively.
According to Kodjo Esseim Mensah- Abrampa, the director-general of the NDPC, the guideline document will revamp economic activities at local communities that have been shattered by the devastating effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We did an immediate survey and identified six key districts that were most affected by the COVID-19. And coincidentally, most of them were at the border areas and of course, Accra and Kumasi were also affected due to the closedown of economic activities.
“Through the process, we came up with a response plan and a financial mobilization strategy to support these districts. Out of that, we realised that if you want to support the recovery of these most affected districts, then we need to look at how we can help to revamp their local economy,” he noted.
He further indicated that the affected districts which mostly depended on international trade due to their proximity to the borders of neighbouring countries will need the ban on the closure of borders lifted to see some economic boost.
“These districts depended mostly on international trade. So, there were a lot of exchanges between the district and Togo, the district and Burkina Faso, and so on. And therefore, the closure of the borders affected them.”
“Now, very soon they might open the borders and if we get to that point as a country, then the districts can go back to undertake the maiden trading, industrial and processing activities,” he added.
A senior research fellow with the Institute for Statistical Social and Economic Research (ISSER), Professor Charles Ackah commended the UNDP and the National Development Planning Commission for the project and stated that it will help Africa attain gains of a single market and other benefits which will translate into billions of revenues for the continent.
“As we engage in this free trade Area, competition is going to be very key and we need policy and an authority to be able to supervise and make sure that countries are not short-changed and consumers are not ‘killing’ themselves because private businesses want to make a profit and they’ll do everything to make a profit if no one is checking. So of course, this policy guideline comes in handy and it will be instrumental to how we go about the free trade, especially in our local communities,” he noted.
Nicholas Brown
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