Make good use of the AfCFTA with the knowledge acquired here – GIMPA graduates told

The 9th graduation ceremony of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) Training and Consulting saw over 100 students receiving diplomas and advanced diplomas in Transport and Logistics.

The event, held recently, was attended by dignitaries and academics, including the Director of GIMPA Training and Consulting, Professor Charles Amoatey.

In his address, Professor Amoatey urged the graduates to leverage the opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) for business growth. He emphasized the importance of enhancing entrepreneurial skills and encouraged the graduates to pursue short courses to expand their knowledge base.

“We are training them not to just go and look for jobs in the private and public sector but to also start their own businesses in the field.

“We have also equipped them with new technologies that will make them stand out in the profession. Africa is now a very small community, fortunately Ghana is hosting the African Free Trade Centre. It provides a unique opportunity for young men and women like those who have graduated to take advantage of those initiatives, to even jobs outside Ghana.”

AfCFTA

Although trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) commenced on January 1, 2021, it is important to note that the process leading up to this point was a lengthy one, spanning several years.

The agreement itself was signed in 2018, but it took many years of negotiations, consultations, and deliberations to reach that point. Roots of the AfCFTA date back to the 19th Session of the African Union (AU) in 2012, where African Heads of State and Government came to the decision to establish a free trade area across the continent by 2017. 

The official negotiations for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) launched in 2015 by African Heads of State and Government at the 25th  Ordinary Session of the AU. These negotiations continued until March 2018, where the agreement was signed at the 10th Extraordinary Session of the AU Assembly of Heads of States and Government, where 44 of the 55 African Union Member States signed the Agreement establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).  

Almost exactly a year following the signing of the agreement, the AfCFTA entered into force on May 30, 2019. The operational phase of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) was launched during the 12th African Union (AU) Assembly in July 2019. At the time, 27 countries had ratified the AfCFTA, while 28 others had signed but not yet ratified

As of February 2023, 46 of the 54 signatories have deposited their instruments of ratification for the agreement, making them state parties to the agreement. 

While trading under the agreement commenced on January 1, 2021, there are still negotiations taking place to finalize all aspects of the agreement. These negotiations have been divided into three phases; 

Phase I: Trade in goods and services and dispute settlement

•  Despite trading under the agreement being permitted, negotiations continue for various details such as tariff schedules, rules of origin, the Trade Remedy Guidelines, and services commitments for the five priority sectors for liberalization (Transport, communication, financial, tourism and business services). 

Phase II: Intellectual property rights, investment, and competition policy 

• Negotiations for Phase II have commenced, and were disrupted by the COVID-19 Pandemic, resulting in delays. However, the negotiations to conclude the outstanding Protocols of Phase II are well advanced and should be completed soon. 

Phase III: Digital trade and women and youth in trade 

• Negotiations for Phase III will commence upon the completion of Phase II.