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Ph:DR: Family photo of the participants of the two-day workshop in Cotonou
The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), through its Sub-Regional Office for West Africa, supports Benin in its drive to operationalize the African Continental Free Trade Area (ZLECAf). Through this support, the Ministry of Industry and Trade launched this Thursday, April 27, 2023, in Cotonou, the process of formulating a national AfCFTA strategy which will serve as a framework for its implementation.
This is a consultation workshop that brings together all the economic and commercial actors of Benin for the development of the reference document.
The general objective of this meeting was to present the Agreement, in its content and its socio-economic implications to stakeholders in Benin. It was also a question of collecting their points of view, their aspirations and their concerns with regard to the opportunities and risks related to the implementation of the ZLECAf in the Republic of Benin.
It was also a question of sensitizing these actors and triggering a process of appropriation of the ZLECAf by the stakeholders so that its implementation is beneficial for all. This is why the strategy aims to be inclusive and participatory.
In his speech at the opening ceremony of the workshop, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Mr. Salami Amzath Bissiriou, affirmed that “It is of the construction of an economic zone where our country necessarily has a role to play, a stone to bring to the consolidation of the common building”.
According to Mr. Salami Amzath Bissiriou, Benin has started the process of developing its national AfCFTA strategy to obtain support that will be presented to all stakeholders for validation. “It will then be introduced to the Council of Ministers for adoption and sent to the National Assembly for ratification”, concluded the Secretary General of the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
For his part, the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations System in Benin Salvator Niyonzima, returned to the advantages of this large inter-African market in connection with the objectives of the workshop. According to him, the reason for the presence of civil society organizations, executives from sectoral ministries and the private sector at this meeting is attributable to their desire to engage in a dialogue which, in the near future, will lead us to an ZLECAf strategy for The Benin.
“The ultimate objective of the AfCFTA is to create a continent without tariff and non-tariff barriers that can stimulate inter-African trade and investment, contribute to the growth of local businesses, galvanize industrialization and create jobs for African youth. in full expansion”, explained Mr. Salvator Niyonzima, before inviting the participants to get actively involved in the work of this workshop in order to offer a quality document in Benin with regard to the challenges.
This meeting, which took place through plenary sessions and group work according to the “focus groups” approach, recorded the participation of government actors, the private sector, including those of agricultural producer organizations and society. civil society, namely women’s and youth associations, consumers, trade unions, the media, etc.
