Abidjan, 29 April 2021 (AIP) – On Thursday 29 April 2021, the Minister of Trade and Industry, Souleymane Diarrassouba, inaugurated the premises of the AfCFTA National Committee (AfCFTA-NC) in Abidjan Cocody, marking a significant milestone in the operationalisation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
During the ceremony, the Minister commended the African Union (AU) initiative, backed by African Heads of State, as a strategic opportunity to enhance intra-African trade, currently at 16%, compared to over 60% in Asia. He highlighted that Côte d'Ivoire's intra-African trade rate is 27%, above the continental average, and emphasized President Alassane Ouattara's leadership and commitment to African integration.
“The AfCFTA will enable Africa to open up to itself,” stated Minister Diarrassouba. He explained that this free trade area comprises a market of 1.3 billion inhabitants, projected to reach 2.5 billion by 2050, and encouraged all stakeholders—including the public and private sectors and civil society—to leverage the opportunities provided by the AfCFTA to foster competitiveness on a continental scale.
The Minister recalled various measures Côte d'Ivoire has implemented, such as the law ratifying the AfCFTA Agreement passed on 31 October 2018, the submission of tariff offers to ECOWAS, and the establishment of the AfCFTA-NC. This committee serves as a key tool for raising awareness and engaging stakeholders in the agreement’s implementation.
The inauguration of the new headquarters, termed the “House of the AfCFTA,” is expected to provide the National Committee and its Executive Secretariat with improved working conditions. This facility will facilitate coordination and collective efforts among stakeholders, promoting inter-African trade and competitiveness, Minister Diarrassouba assured. He noted that Côte d'Ivoire stands out as the only country with a dedicated AfCFTA seat.
Fatoumata Fofana, Executive Secretary of the AfCFTA-NC, and Touré Faman, President of the Côte d'Ivoire Chamber of Commerce and Industry, both expressed their enthusiasm for the launch of this operational facility.
The AfCFTA Agreement was signed on March 21, 2018, in Kigali, Rwanda, during the 10th AU Extraordinary Summit. It aims to establish a single market for goods, services, and the movement of people, aligned with the Agenda 2063 vision of an “integrated, prosperous, and peaceful Africa.” To date, 54 countries have signed the agreement, and 36 have submitted instruments of ratification out of a total of 55 states.
In response to decisions from the 31st Ordinary Session of the AU Summit of Heads of State, Côte d'Ivoire established the AfCFTA National Committee through Decree No. 2018-514 on 30 May 2018. The committee’s mandate includes promoting the agreement at the national level, contributing to the development of national strategies, addressing negotiation and implementation issues, enhancing national expertise on the AfCFTA, gathering input from stakeholders to encourage active participation, making recommendations to the Government, and ensuring the effective application of governmental measures.
(AIP)
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