Ursula launches AfCFTA hub Ghana

The Minister for Communications and Digitalization (MoCD), Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, as part of the government’s commitment to accelerate the country’s digital agenda, launched the “African Continental Free Trade Agreement, (AfCFTA) Hub” which seeks to promote, enhance and advance digital trading, electronic commerce, marketplace and general services.

The initiative which was launched on 29th August 2022, also sought to ensure that Ghanaian businesses have a trusted profile beyond Ghana, to strengthen the hands of industry and regulators to fight fraudsters who will also like to use AfCFTA to regionalise their nefarious activities.

The Minister indicated that, as the accelerated AfCFTA Guided Trade Initiative commences in pilot form with Ghana and six other proactive African countries taking charge, “we shall commence onboarding young entrepreneurs, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), startups and all digital marketplace actors across the country onto the AfCFTA Hub, where they can obtain a free AfCFTA Number”.

The AfCFTA Number, according to her was the powerful seed of a single continental trust-building system that would complement other AfCFTA-enabling instruments such as the PAPSS, MANSA, Digital Green Corridor and e-Tariff mechanisms developed by the AfCFTA Secretariat, African Union, the 4D Consortium and trusted partners like Afreximbank and AfroChampions.

Mrs Owusu-Ekuful added that, with the AfCFTA number, Ghanaian enterprises were guaranteed a sure and secure navigational tool as well as a trusted profile to speed up connections across the continent for business.

She added that, together with the AfCFTA Common Transaction ID, the AfCFTA Number would also serve critical anti-fraud and crime-fighting purposes domestically and regionally.