Ghana spends $3million on implementation of African Continental Free Trade Area, President Akufo-Addo hints

According to him, the money was used for the establishment and operationalisation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) which he announced will take full force in March 2020.

“The Government of Ghana sponsored six (6) different meetings of the AfCFTA in December 2019, in Accra. Thus far, a total amount of US$3 million has been advanced by the Government of Ghana for the establishment and operationalization of the AfCFTA Secretariat,” he said.

President Akufo-Addo was speaking at the closed session of the 33rd AU Summit, currently ongoing in Addis Ababa Ethiopia.

He noted that Ghana, after being selected as the host country for the Secretariat, was “directed to work with the AU Commission to ensure an expeditious and efficient process of establishing a permanent Secretariat for the AfCFTA in Accra by 31st March 2020."

He assured the Assembly of Heads of State and Governments of the African Union that the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area will be operational by 31st March 2020.

The President reiterated Ghana’s determination “to establish the Secretariat by the end of March 2020, which will be of world-class quality, and to help ensure that, by 1st July 2020, as mandated by the Assembly, the AfCFTA takes off without a hitch.”