The Afreximbank, the foremost Pan-African organisation projects to double its support for Intra-Africa trade and investment to $40 billion by 2026, Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Ernest Addison, has said.
"Prior to the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area Initiative (AfCFTA) $20 billion in support of intra-African trade and investments," he stated at the 30th Afreximbank Annual Meeting in Accra yesterday.
The three-day programme and the first gathering of Global Africa is on the theme "Delivering the Vision, Building Prosperity for Africans."
Dr Addison said since its establishment 30 years ago, Afreximbank had transitioned into a supranational financial institution championing African trade and driving growth across multiple sectors
"Evidence of the bank's interventions are numerous and includes infrastructural investments to support Intra-African trade, investments in agriculture and industry, trade facilitation, and trade guarantee advisory services," Dr Addison stated.
He said Afreximbank intervened strongly during the COVID-19 pandemic and disbursed more than US$8 billion to central banks and commercial banks to avert looming trade debt payment defaults.
Part of this funding, he said went into the procurement of test kits, PPEs, and other COVID-19 containment materials in Member States.
Dr Addison said the bank also disbursed over US$5 billion to member states and businesses towards the procurement of food, fertiliser, and grains as the Russian-Ukraine crisis unfolded.
"Working with UNECA, the AU, and the AfCFTA Secretariat, Afreximbank created a pooled procurement platform termed the Africa Trade Exchange (ATEX) to help African countries procure grains, edible oils, and fertilisers at reduced costs," he said.
Dr Addison said Afrexibank was also financing African-owned financial institutions to acquire foreign banks operating in Member States with a view to building an inter-connected African financial system to help promote Intra-African trade.
"Also, through the Afreximbank Trade Finance Facility (AFTRAF), about 500 of the continent's 600 regulated commercial banks have been provided with Trade Credit Confirmation lines to support intra-African trade and the total amount earmarked for this project is about US$8 billion. This funding is aimed at ensuring that every country on our Continent has at least one bank has a dedicated credit line to support intra-African trade," Dr Addison said.
"Afreximbank is also collaborating with the AU Commission and the AfCFTA Secretariat to implement the biennial Intra-African Trade Fairs, which may become the premier marketplace for the promotion of Intra-African trade and investments. This, coupled with the establishment of the AfCFTA Adjustment Fund for which Afreximbank is providing the funding of US$10 billion, could help African countries effectively adjust to AfCFTA tariff removals and prepare them to participate in the new trading regime," the Governor stated.
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He said Ghana had also benefited from a cordial and productive relationship with Afreximbank over the years.
The Minister of Finance of Egypt and Chairman of Afreximbank General Meeting, Mohammed Ahmed Mait said the world was going through an uncertain period due among others to growing inflation and public debt.
He said the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Corina virus pandemic had disrupted the global supply chain and created a food crisis.
"There is the need to develop strong industrial policies to support the diversification of the African economy and also position the continent to withstand global shocks," he said.
The Secretary-General of AfCFTA, Wamkele Mene, said AfCFTA would soon launch the Africa-wide Guarantee Scheme to reduce the cost of trade and make trade accessible on the continent.
He said both Afreximbank and AfCFTA had complementary roles to play to promote trade and investment on the continent.
"We can address all the trade barriers but if we don't have finance our effort will come to naught," Mr Mene stated.
