A Legal Practitioner, Mr Ebenezer Amadi has said that the establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) was set to boost the trade and economic growth of Africa and to strengthen integration among African country.
Amadi who is a Business Lawyer in his report said AfCFTA was set to create a liberalized market for goods and services through successive rounds of negotiations.
He stated that the market designed to contribute to the movement of capital and natural persons and facilitate investments building on the initiatives and developments in the State Parties and RECs; Lay the foundation for the establishment of a Continental Customs Union at a later stage; promote and attain sustainable and inclusive socioeconomic development, gender equality and structural transformation of the State parties, enhance the competitiveness of the economies of State Parties within the continent and the global markey.
But to ensure that the AfCFTA serves as a framework for progress, development and inclusive economic growth of Africa, Amadi said that policy makers should make supportive complementary policies designed to support structural transformations, complementary policies such as consumer protection and competition policies need to be put in place.
He said that there was need to implement a protocol on e-commerce in order to develop e-commerce facilities and connectivity, adding that digitalization of the economy,
business owners and small-scale farmers should be equipped with the requisite knowledge and skill to comply with international SPS Standards.
