|
ECOWAS urged to adopt Common External
Tariff
From Christian Akorlie, GNA Special Correspondent, Po,
Burkina Faso
Po, Burkina Faso, June 22, GNA - Mr. Ibrahim Akalbila,
National Coordinator of the Ghana Trade and Livelihoods
Coalition (GTLC) has appealed to the governments of
English-speaking countries in West Africa to treat the
adoption of a common external tariff (CET) as a matter of
urgency.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency on the sidelines
of the sub-regional integration forum held in Po, Burkina
Faso, Mr Ibrahim said the idea of a CET had been on the
drawing board for far too long and a concrete action needed
to be taken on it now.
"We need to speed up the process of the adoption of CET if
the removal of barriers on the trans-ECOWAS Highways is to
benefit the people of ECOWAS," he said.
The common external tariff is a mild form of economic union
that may lead to further types of economic integration.
Besides, having the same customs duties, the countries may
have other common trade policies, such as having the same
quotas, preferences or other non-tariff trade regulations
apply to all goods entering the area, regardless of which
country within the area they are entering.
The French Speaking countries in the sub-region already
operate a four band CET levels of 0, 5, 10 and 20.
Mr Akalbila said the general consensus was for the English
speaking countries to adopt the same tariff band in order to
harmonise tariff levels in the sub-region.
However, Nigeria is proposing a fifth band of 50 per cent.
He emphasized that governments of the sub-region must adopt
and use the Common External Tariff (CET) as a means to
safeguard the regional market from the influx of cheap and
subsidized imports from the developed countries.
Touching on the forum, Mr Akalbila urged the governments of
Ghana and Burkina Faso to develop mechanisms to ensure wider
participation of the general public in issues of
integration.
There is also the need for both countries to implement the
ECOWAS Agriculture Policy (ECOWAP), since it provided all
the safeguards and protection for the development of
agriculture in the sub-region.
He said that, the ECOWAP had laudable objectives such as
ensuring food security for rural and urban populations.
Mr Akalbila said with support and guidance of leaders on the
continent the goal of total integration of member countries
would be attained.
The forum was organized by the Ghana Trade and Livelihood
Coalition and their counterparts in Burkina Faso,
Organisation pour le Reinforcement des Capacites de
Development (ORCADE) aimed at giving impetus to efforts at
regional integration, using Ghana and Burkina Faso as a case
study.
It was held on the theme: "Effective Regional Integration
for Better and Sustainable Development."
GNA
|
