Public Agenda (Accra)
Christian Akorlie
23 June 2008
Po — Ghana's Ambassador to Burkina Faso, Mr Sohanun Mogtari has warned that West Africa risked being marginalized if concrete efforts were not made to speed up the process of regional integration a lot more than had been done in the past 30 years.
Speaking at a Sub-Regional forum on Integration at Po, Mr Mogtari asked governments of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) members not to sit on the fence but to speed up the implementation of the various protocols, especially the one on the free movement of persons and goods, to enhance intra-regional trade and ensure sustainable development of the Sub-Region.
West Africa is home to about 250 million people but trade between the countries in the Sub-Region stands at a paltry 12 per cent.
"It is imperative West Africa positions itself in the light of recent developments, especially the global food crisis, which is forcing even developed economies to further integrate," he said.
The forum organized by the Ghana Trade and Livelihood Coalition and their counterparts in Burkina Faso, Organisation pour le Reinforcement des Capacites de Development (ORCADE) aimed to give 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."
He said Ghana's relationship with Burkina Faso aimed at harnessing the economic and trade potential of the two countries for their mutual benefit.
To further boost that relationship, the two countries have established the Permanent Joint Commission to promote trade and economic integration.
"The governments of the two countries are also working hand in hand to remove the bottlenecks on free movement of people as well as goods and services," Mr Mogtari said.
He called on stakeholders to show commitment to the process by implementing the various protocols, including the ECOWAS Common Agricultural Policy, to allow integration and sustainable development.
Mr Alhassan Samari, Upper East Regional Minister, in his contribution, said mistrust and suspicion among member states had led to security issues being put at the forefront of the Sub-Regional agenda instead of development and economic integration.
This, he said, had led to a situation where the cardinal objective of economic integration, "where we shall witness free flow of goods, services and its people," had taken a back seat in the Sub-Regional agenda.
Mr Samari expressed the hope that if government policies were directed at implementing the regional trade and agricultural policies as contained in the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation scheme and ECOWAS Common Agricultural Policy it would bring much relief to the majority of citizens.
This would also lead to the removal of unnecessary road barriers within and between nations to ensure the free flow of goods, services and people.
"Certainly, if we are able to achieve this between Ghana and Burkina Faso, I am optimistic that one day the dream of the founding fathers of ECOWAS would be realized."
Mr Lompo Djamana, Permanent Secretary National Commission for Integration, who stood in for the Burkina Faso Minster of Foreign Affairs and Regional Cooperation, said it was time the governments cut the rhetoric and took concrete actions that would translate into enhancing the integration process in the Sub-Region.
Mr Ibrahim Akalbila, National Coordinator of the Ghana Trade and Livelihoods Coalition, said the commitment of governments and the citizenry that translated into improving lives, growing local economies and building confidence would sustain and drive the process to its logical conclusion.
He commended the government of Ghana for reducing the number of barriers on the Trans-ECOWAS Highway and also reducing security interruption of movement of persons and goods, especially between Ghana and Burkina Faso and other sister neighbouring countries. GNA
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