BY EBOB ARAH
The member States of the Economic Community of Central Africa States (ECCAS) have combined to seek new ways and facilitate trade in the region. The ECCAS members converge on Douala, for a three-day meeting to validate the programme to reinforce trade within the Central Africa region.
The three-day meeting was organised in collaboration with the European Union through the programme TradeCom II. The ECCAS meeting will create a platform for regional help strategy for trade and equally prepare the region for multilateral negotiations on service trading.
Achille Bassilekin III, Secretary General at the Ministry of Trade, while representing the minister said Cameroon has and will continue to fight for healthy trade in the region.
He emphasised that “Cameroon is one of the countries which signed the Continental Free Trade Area on March 21, 2018 in Kigali. We therefore believe that this meeting will give more impetus to the Regional Integration Process,”he said.
The Secretary Generalwent on to say that the forumwill enable the ECCAS states to look at the challenges and design strategies to ensure aid for trade becomes a reality.
Marie-Thérèse Chantal Mfoula, Assistant Secretary General of the Department of Physical, Economic and Monetary Integration at ECCAS, maintained that the meeting has as one of its main focus to overcome the current challenges ECCAS is facing in its transition towards a structural transformation and sustainable development of its member states.
“This is a moment whereby participants are expected to boost their capacities, and come out with tools which will help them revive trade in their countries. They need to therefore put the set agenda into practice, to ensure that they work by the clauses of the Kigali Agreement,” she held.
Dr. El Hadj Diouf, TradeCom II commercial expert, said though the trade funds are coming from the North (European Union), the techniques and modes of application are reserved to the South (beneficiaries).
However, though withdifferences in their economies, El Hadj Diouf claimed that it is left for the member states to identify their own issues, meaning, they are not to work following the agenda of other countries.
“Every African country must be the main actor of their developments. However if we remain united in the African Union, our development will be rapid,” said Dr. El HadjDiouf.
The three-day meeting looks forward to increase the competitiveness of Central African Countries.