MAMOU - Nearly five years after ratifying the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement, Guinea is actively preparing its stakeholders to take advantage of this major integration opportunity by 2030.
To this end, the Ministry of Trade, through the National Directorate of Foreign Trade and Competitiveness, is organizing two workshops, one of which will be held in the interior of the country, to draw up a strategy for promoting competitiveness in the context of the African continental free trade zone.
In Mamou, from June 9 to 10, 2023, a hundred or so players from five (5) of the country's administrative regions will exchange views with a view to making a real diagnosis of Guinea's economic sectors, identifying all aspects related to the problem and formulating recommendations.
This important workshop, which got underway this Friday, June 9, 2023, at the prefecture, is taking place in the context of the African continental free trade zone, which is supported by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), which has made the success of the AfCFTA one of its priorities.
According to the National Director of Foreign Trade and Competitiveness, the Mamou meeting is one of two consultation workshops at national level. “Here we have brought together all the stakeholders from the administrative regions of Faranah, Kankan, N'zérékoré, Labé and Mamou. Next week in Conakry, we'll be bringing together stakeholders from Boké, Kindia and Conakry”, said Amadou DAF Baldé.
The aim of these workshops is to exchange ideas with these players in order to formulate a strategy for promoting competitiveness in the context of the African continental free trade zone. For, since October 16, 2018, Guinea has ratified the AfCFTA. But in view of what the other signatory countries are accomplishing, Guinea seems to be lagging behind.
“We were one of the first countries to sign the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement. But it turns out that in terms of the level of preparation of our economic players, farmers, producers, industrialists and others, we're not totally ready to compete with the 53 other states that have left on the continent. With the development distortions that exist, if you compare our country with those of the Maghreb, we're lagging behind. So, the National Directorate of Competitiveness, which is the Executive Secretariat in charge of implementing this agreement that our country has ratified, is in the process of equipping our country with all the necessary instruments and selling them to the government for validation, and to technical and financial partners so that we can implement the implementation strategy that was adopted a few years ago”, added Amadou DAF Baldé.
According to him, with this new strategy, the players will identify all the faults in our sectors, try to see what solutions can be applied. Then they will look for funding to implement these actions so that Guinea is ready.
“Over the course of the two-day workshop, we'll be asking the players what they think and what they need, after which we'll provide them with solutions by formulating this strategy”, added the National Director of Foreign Trade and Competitiveness.
These workshops are being held with the support of the United Nations Economic Commission for West Africa (UNECA). On behalf of the Minister of Trade, Industry and SMEs, Mr. Baldé thanked UNECA for this support.
“Ever since we ratified the agreement, UNECA and its various partners have been constantly supporting us, but everything is managed by UNECA. It's the CEA that gets involved to mobilize others to facilitate the realization of our activities, which will lead to the operationalization of the African continental free trade zone. It's a privileged partner that we'll never stop thanking,” emphasized Amadou DAF Baldé.
Representing the authorities of the administrative region at this event, the Prefect of Mamou, on behalf of the Governor, welcomed the choice of Mamou to host this important consultation workshop on the formulation of a strategy to promote competitiveness in Guinea in the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
“The aim of this workshop is to raise the level of growth and intensify trade with African partners outside the ECOWAS zone. The Governor and I would like to thank all the participants who have kindly made the trip. I remain convinced that this consultation workshop on the formulation of a strategy to promote competitiveness in Guinea will enable the various players in the process to count on the growth of priority players in the economy, but also to make the most of the economic opportunities offered by the continental market”, declared Colonel Mamadi Diallo.
This workshop establishes an essential framework for stakeholders to exchange ideas and formulate a common vision of the structural change that Guinea intends to achieve through the implementation of a strategy to promote competitiveness that will meet the aspirations of the Guinean people.
The Prefect of Mamou invited all participants to seize this opportunity to make a real diagnosis of Guinea's economic sectors, identify all aspects related to the problem and formulate their recommendations.