President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa on Monday, 17th August 2020, commissioned and handed over the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area to the African Union Commission.
Speaking at the ceremony, President Akufo-Addo said Ghana had discharged all of her obligations towards the establishment of the office for the single continental market.
“We are today, handing over a fully furnished and befitting office in a secure and accessible location within the business centre of Accra as the permanent Secretariat of the AfCFTA.
It is obvious that these very low levels of interest of intraregional trade constitute one of the defining characteristics of our continuing poverty,” he said.
President Akufo-Addo mentions that the effective implementation of the AfCFTA will dispel the notion that Africans are incapable of making their own decisions.
“Africa’s new sense of urgency, and aspiration of true self-reliance, will be amply demonstrated by today’s ceremony,” he adds.
President Akufo-Addo seized the opportunity to welcome the first Secretary-General of the AfCFTA, Wamkele Mene, and charged him to work towards building a strong, efficient, and effective secretariat with the capacity to implement the various trade rules in line with the text of the agreement.
Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, Wamkele Mene, thanked the government and people of Ghana for providing world-class facilities that will enable Africa to progress towards the historic mission of achieving an integrated Africa.
The chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, congratulated Ghana for its commitment to Africa’s integration agenda.
He indicates: “We should have a Secretariat here in Ghana. Ghana is a historical trading Center for gold, cocoa and timbers and other valuable goods and remains an important centre of the continent and beyond.”
The leaders were excited that the unveiling of the secretariat marks a new beginning of Africa’s economic fortunes.
Trade and Industry Minister, Alan Kyeremanteng, says the single market will increase intra-Africa trade by US$35billion per annum by 2022.
“AfCFTA will also address the challenge of small fragmented markets in Africa by creating a single continental market, which will lead to economies of scale,” he adds.
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