The Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) has called for greater engagement with stakeholders directly involved in trade — not only technocrats — to address barriers and inefficiencies within sub-regional trade agreements that hinder the success of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
“Ghanaian traders welcome the actualisation of the AfCFTA Agreement and have pledged their support for it. However, we want more consultations to ensure the trade agreement benefits local businesses. As it stands, several barriers threaten Ghana’s competitiveness, and we demand clear policy direction from the African Union, as well as full implementation by Ghanaian authorities of existing laws that protect local traders while enhancing regional trade,” said Dr. Joseph Obeng, President of GUTA, during an interaction with members of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) Committee on Trade, Customs, and Immigration Matters.
The PAP delegation, led by Hon. Rodney Cloete (Namibia) and comprising Hon. Hanna Belkhir (Morocco) and Hon. Jonathan Daka (Zambia), is conducting an assessment mission on the implementation of the AfCFTA Guided Trade Initiative (GTI) and advocating for the ratification of the African Union Protocol to the Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community Relating to Free Movement of Persons, Right of Residence, and Right of Establishment in the Republic of Ghana.
According to the delegation, the Committee seeks to enhance understanding of Ghana’s progress and challenges in trading under the AfCFTA, particularly in relation to the free movement of people, goods, and services. To achieve this, the Pan-African Parliamentarians are in Accra meeting with government officials responsible for trade, customs, and immigration; civil society organizations involved in trade and migration matters; and representatives of business associations.
During the meeting with GUTA, the following key concerns and recommendations were raised:
- Stakeholder engagement: GUTA emphasized the need for deeper consultations with traders—not just government technocrats—to fully grasp the challenges hindering AfCFTA’s success.
- Competitiveness: The association argued that high tariffs are undermining Ghanaian traders’ ability to compete with counterparts from other African nations under AfCFTA.
- Cost of credit: GUTA raised concerns about high interest rates in Ghana compared to other countries, which disadvantage local producers.
- Barriers to trade: The association called for a review of challenges within sub-regional bodies such as ECOWAS to identify and resolve issues impeding free continental trade.
- Retail sector: GUTA urged strict enforcement of retail laws to protect indigenous businesses.
- Free movement: While welcoming the free movement of persons, GUTA called for regulations that safeguard local traders and provide adequate security guarantees.
- Infrastructure: The association highlighted that inadequate infrastructure across the continent hampers the operationalisation of the AfCFTA and must be addressed urgently.
- Standardisation: GUTA called for the identification of priority products and value chains for harmonisation of standards across Africa—an essential step toward unlocking the full trade and industrialisation potential of AfCFTA.
The Pan-African Parliament delegation expressed appreciation to GUTA members for their commitment to the AfCFTA and their candid feedback on advancing its implementation. The delegation reiterated that the PAP plays a key role in facilitating the adoption of AU policies, objectives, and programmes, and in overseeing their effective implementation by AU organs and Member States.
Findings from the assessment mission will be compiled into a report to be presented during the forthcoming Pan-African Parliament Ordinary Session. The report will enable the Parliament to reflect on the evolution of the AfCFTA through the Guided Trade Initiative (GTI) and to promote the effective implementation of the AfCFTA across all African countries.
