The Director-General of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Dr. Kojo Essiem Mensah-Abrampa, has called on stakeholders to ensure effective implementation of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) in order to enable policy coherence of the agreement.
He said this recently during a stakeholder’s dialogue organized by the NDPC in partnership with the UNDP and the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MoTI). It was on the theme: “Synergies and Coherence of Planning and Innovations for development towards 2030”.
Dr. Mensah-Abrampa argued that despite attempts and efforts by Regional Economic Communities (REC) to increase the micro-economic convergence, improve trade and investments integration, facilitate migration and free movement among others, Regional integration remains a challenge due to limited energy and infrastructure development.
“Also, insecurity and conflicts, multiple and overlapping membership of RECs, poor sequencing of the regional integration arrangements and limited financial services affects it as well,” he added.
He reiterated that the country needs not to rely only on negotiations and ratification of the continental free trade agreements, but “the AfCTA must change lives, reduce poverty, create wealth, expand livelihood opportunities and contribute to meaningful economic development”.
The Minister for Planning, Prof. George Gyan Baffour, said there is a need to prioritize Planning and innovations in the country.
According to him planning is an essential component in the attainment of the sustainable development Goals (SDGs), hence the need to prioritize it.
He highlighted the Presidents “Ghana Beyond Aid” agenda that falls in line with the theme for the event, stating that, planners must adopt and apply the necessary planning instruments and tools to make this a reality for the country.
Source: Eric Nii Sackey || erysaco93@yahoo. com
