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Deputy Minister of Information, Mr. Pius Enam Hadzide has indicated that the establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Secretariat in the country will bring a lot of benefits.

According to him, the secretariat in the country will push giant companies in other African countries to Ghana as they would want to get closer to the headquarters by establishing their annex in the country in order for them to facilitate their documentation.

Speaking on Okay FM’s Ade Akye Abia Morning Show, Mr. Pius Hadzide maintained that many businesses in Africa will eye Ghana due to the secretariat being established in the country; hence businesses are bound to boost and Ghanaians will get employment.

‘There are a lot of benefits to having the African Continental Free Trade Secretariat in Ghana. many of the giant businesses will want to get closer to the headquarters and for that matter, they will like to establish here in order to facilitate their documentation at the headquarters and so there will be a lot of businesses in the country for Ghanaians to join,” he asserted.

The Deputy Information Minister again said that the name of the country will be in the limelight as it has the headquarters as many countries will get to know the country where the African Continental Free Trade Secretariat.

“The commissioning of the trade house in Ghana will help champion the course of Africa beyond aid as President Akufo-Addo is working towards Ghana Beyond Aid; thus, the establishment of the secretariat will help the course,” he indicated.

He, however, praised President Akufo-Addo for his effort in bringing the headquarters of African Continental Free Trade as many African leaders were also hoping to win the bid to have the headquarters in their countries.

“There were countries with a larger population and more resources and even with better economy than us but due to proper measures in the country and the peace in the country, especially democracy which is well-versed in the country, the leadership thought it wise to hand over such a huge edifice to Ghana under the leadership of President Akufo-Addo”, he said.

The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has commissioned and handed over the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area to the African Union (AU) Commission, at a brief ceremony, at the Africa Trade House, on Monday, 17th August 2020.

Delivering a speech at the ceremony, President Akufo-Addo stated that Ghana had discharged all of her obligations towards the establishment and the setting up of the office, following the selection of Ghana, in 2019, by the AU Assembly to host the AfCFTA Secretariat.

“We are today, handing over a fully furnished and befitting office space, in a secured and easily accessible location within the business center of Accra, like the Permanent Secretariat of the AfCFTA. We have provided also an appropriate, furnished residential accommodation as the official residence of the Secretary-General of the AfCFTA,” he said.

With Africa’s low levels of intra-Africa trade, as compared to those of the European Union, the President explained that this situation hinders Africa’s prospects of bringing prosperity to her peoples.

“A large part of the growth and prosperity that we seek on the continent will come from us trading more among ourselves. We, in Ghana, believe that an increase in trade is the surest way to deepen regional integration in Africa,” he said.

Effective implementation of the AfCFTA, President Akufo-Addo told the gathering, will dispel the notion that the AU is not capable of executing its own decisions, explaining that Africa’s new sense of urgency and aspiration of true self-reliance will be amply demonstrated by the handing over ceremony.