By Bright Ntramah
President Akufo-Addo says his government intends to make entry into Ghana by Africans visa-free with the view to enhancing intra-regional business.
The President said this at the launch of the second edition of Africa Prosperity Dialogues at Peduase in the Eastern region.
President Akufo-Addo noted that Africa has diverse resources and a youthful population and therefore the continent cannot be poor.
The second edition of the Africa Prosperity Dialogues, a platform for discussing issues, forming formidable partnerships and committing to achieving the “Africa Beyond Aid” agenda envisioned by the African Union, is underway at Aburi in the Eastern Region.
The three-day event, which is being attended by some African heads of States and top business, political leaders and development partners, is focused on delivering prosperity in Africa. It is under the auspices of the African Prosperity Network and the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat.
The Chairman of KGL and Board of GIPC, Alex Dadey, said African governments should assist indigenous companies to establish presence in developing markets. He also urged African governments to enforce a policy that will encourage multinational companies to invest a portion of their earnings in the continent.
The Secretary General of the AfCFTA, Wamkele Mene, said the AfCFTA, since its inception, has chalked up a lot of successes. He said the Secretariat has developed a tariff group that enables the private sector to determine the tariff that will apply to the product that they want to export.
President Akufo-Addo called for fostering inter Africa Trade among Africans to help unlock the full potential of trade. He said Africans must prioritise the development of efficient transportation infrastructure, streamline trade processes and embrace digital technology to facilitate cross-border transactions. He said his administration will ensure Visa free for all Africans entering the country.
The summit will feature a retreat among business executives, political leaders and experts on the continent, a high-level presidential and business executive dialogue, a presidential gala and the Africa Prosperity Champions Awards.
There will also be the lighting of the Africa Trade Torch-a private sector initiative to champion the realisation of AfCFTA among African Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, women and youth.
Thematic areas for the 2024 Africa Prosperity Dialogues include agriculture and food sovereignty, natural resources and value addition, manufacturing, infrastructure and ICT, finance and investment, and transport and logistics.
