Ziad Hamoui (M) and Fred Aseidu Dartey (L)
The West African Sub-Region has been urged to strengthen its regional supply chains in order to ensure food security during global uncertainties.
According to the Borderless Alliance National Committee President for Ghana, Ziad Hamoui, West African countries must begin to wean themselves off the over reliance on food importation.
“In the midst of global uncertainty and as the region goes through a period of socio-economic instability and rising food insecurity, West Africa must accelerate its drive towards regional economic integration, by exploring available instruments of trade facilitation (regional and international), to accelerate its economic transformation and to create larger and freely-accessible regional markets for its locally produced goods, especially its food and agriculture value chains”, he said.
Mr. Hamoui made the remarks at the media launch of the 10th annual regional conference of Borderless Alliance at the Ghana Shippers House.
The conference, Borderless 2023, will take place at Alisa Hotel in Tema, on October 25 and 26, and hosted by Ghana Shippers Authority under the theme, “Strengthening Regional Agricultural Value Chains to Compete in a Global Market.”
Mr. Hamoui said the two-day event will provide the platform to address the growing unpredictability of global supply chains and the need to create more sustainable and resilient regional agriculture value chains in West Africa.
Head of Freights & Logistics at Ghana Shippers’ Authority, Fred Aseidu Dartey, said Borderless Alliance is a critical partner in promoting the interests of shippers.
He indicated that global economies have thrived by ensuring seamless movements of goods and services and people across borders adding that the removal of non-tariff barriers and the elimination of unwanted economic obstacles to enhance the competitiveness of industries have become essential in the wake of African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement.
He noted that the collaboration between the two organisations has also facilitated the gathering of stakeholders to raise awareness and build capacity on issues related to trade within the sub region.
“The Ghana Shippers Authority is very happy with the ongoing collaboration and is committed to continuing its work with a Borderless Alliance, of course with this conference inclusive, to ensure that a sub region achieves its goals of borderless trade between its peoples and investments,” he said.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri