Background
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is designed to create a single continental market for goods and services, with free movement of businesspersons and investments. While tariff liberalization is a key pillar of the agreement, non-tariff measures (NTMs) and non-tariff barriers (NTBs) remain significant obstacles to intra-African trade.
Accurate data collection on NTMs and effective mechanisms for identifying and resolving NTBs are essential to ensure transparency, improve regulatory practices, and maximize the benefits of the AfCFTA. To support this process, the AfCFTA Secretariat, in collaboration with UNCTAD and the Government of Ghana, is convening a national capacity building workshop for Ghanaian stakeholders.
Objectives
The workshop aims to:
- Strengthen national capacity for data collection on NTMs and enhance regulatory transparency.
- Provide clarity on the AfCFTA Protocol on Trade in Goods, Annex 5 on NTBs, including roles, responsibilities, and institutional arrangements.
- Introduce stakeholders to international classification systems and web portals such as TRAINS Online and SMARTAfCFTA.
- Demonstrate the AfCFTA NTB Online Mechanism and its functions for reporting and resolving NTBs.
- Facilitate dialogue between regulatory authorities, public institutions, and the private sector on trade-related laws and regulations.
- Share experiences from the private sector on challenges encountered in trading and NTB resolution.
Participants
The workshop will bring together:
- Officials from the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment of Ghana and the Ghana AfCFTA Coordination Office.
- Representatives of the AfCFTA Secretariat and UNCTAD.
- Regulatory authorities responsible for trade-related laws and regulations.
- Private sector stakeholders, including business associations.
Expected Outcomes
- A roadmap for the systematic collection, coding, and classification of NTMs in Ghana.
- Improved understanding of Annex 5 on NTBs and the institutional arrangements required for its implementation.
- Enhanced capacity of national stakeholders to use the AfCFTA NTB Online Mechanism for reporting and resolution.
- Strengthened collaboration between government agencies, regulatory authorities, and the private sector in addressing NTBs.
Consolidated feedback and recommendations to improve NTB resolution processes under the AfCFTA framework
