Saly, Dec 19 (APS) – Among the 54 signatory states to the agreement on the continental free trade area, only eight have implemented it, revealed Wednesday in Saly (west), Souleymane Barro, director executive of the African Center for Trade, Integration and Development (Enda CACID).
”Since the implementation of the ZLECAF, which was adopted in Kigali, Rwanda, in 2018, and came into force in 2021, we realize that its implementation is in its infancy. So, it must be said that there are only eight states which have implemented it,” he stressed.
He took part in a multi-stakeholder regional workshop on the theme: ”Strengthening alliances between stakeholders for effective implementation of the ZLECAF”.
”In West Africa, only Ghana has implemented it, but next to this country, there is Tunisia, Kenya, Rwanda, among others,” continued Mr. Barro.
The executive director of Enda CACID, a resource and expertise center affiliated with the Enda Tiers-Monde network, believes that ”this delay is due to the nomenclature of the agreement but also to the challenges linked to supporting the private sector ”.
”The objective that we seek is to follow up, but also to provide an update on the progress of the implementation of the Continental Free Trade Area, trying to see the progress in the implementation of this instrument political and commercial,” he said.
”These constraints have existed for a long time, but we must continue to raise awareness among populations so that they adhere to this extremely important initiative for the development of trade in Africa,” recommended Djé Kouamé, the minister’s representative. Foreign Affairs, African Integration and Ivorians Abroad.
The African Union summit, held last August, set up a reflection committee, which will evaluate each year the obstacles to the implementation of the ZLECAF, to submit them to heads of state, so that “solutions suitable ones are found, he added.
Currently, intra-African trade represents only 15% of the continent’s total trade.
DOB/ADI/AB/ABB
