Ghana’s deputy minister of trade and industry Ama Dokua Asiamah-Adjei has stressed the significance of adopting protocols related to women and youth in trade, as well as digital trade, in the effort to generate employment opportunities in Africa.

Speaking at the 13th AfCFTA Council of Ministers Meeting in Durban, South Africa, Asiamah-Adjei said, “Ghana believes that these protocols, when adopted, will empower women and youth entrepreneurs, create skillful and meaningful job opportunities, and enhance overall economic goals and development across Africa.”

Key participants at the meeting include Wamkele Mene, the Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, Ebrahim Patel, the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition of South Africa, and various ministers responsible for trade, diplomatic representatives, business leaders, and media from across the continent.

The launch ceremony is expected to mark a historic milestone, serving as a crucial tool in facilitating meaningful trade on the African continent. This includes the shipment of South African products to AfCFTA states participating in the Global Trading Initiative (GTI), such as Ghana, Egypt, Rwanda, and Tunisia.

The primary objectives of the meetings are to showcase South Africa’s trade under AfCFTA, demonstrate how African businesses can leverage the liberalized trade preferences, and underscore the readiness of member states’ governments and the secretariat to support the private sector.

The overarching message of the event aims to illustrate that companies can engage in trade under AfCFTA to expand their markets within a legally binding framework.

Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM