Kath Csaba, the Canadian High Commissioner to Ghana has congratulated the African Union Member states for the establishment of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat in Accra.
According to her, the decision is a step in the right direction and it will enable investors from other parts of the world to invest in Africa since there is a regulatory body now which will facilitate trade activities.
“The establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area is a huge success and I congratulate all of the countries that participated including Ghana and other African Member states, I think Ghana deserves a lot of praise for having offered to host the secretariat and I think that will make sure that Accra remains on the map of how this free trade area goes forward. We are providing support to the secretariat directly through funding we are providing to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa,” she said.
She further stated that “we are looking for new ways to support the secretariat and I have to say, as a country that relies very much on trade and as a member of the Canada-United State-Mexico Agreement we fully recognize that a trade arrangement like this is so important to allow the free flow of goods and services.
“For example for those people who choose to invest in a country like Canada which is relatively small a population of just 138 million that actually gives access to a market of 500 million people through buying including the US and Mexico so we see the same opportunities here with the AfCFTA, this is intended to be a free trade agreement for the members, at the same time I also think it offers opportunities for countries like Canada.”
