Monrovia — The Government of Liberia, in collaboration with the ECOWAS Commission and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has officially opened a three-day workshop on the AfCFTA Regulatory Audit Report on Trade in Services at the Cape Hotel in Monrovia.
The workshop brought together policymakers, regulators, private sector actors, development partners, academics, negotiators, and civil society organizations to strengthen understanding of trade in services under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), ECOWAS, and World Trade Organization (WTO) frameworks.
Delivering the opening statement, Wilmot A. Reeves described AfCFTA as one of Africa's most transformative economic initiatives, noting that it creates opportunities for industrialization, investment, job creation, and economic growth across the continent.
Reeves said Liberia views AfCFTA as more than a trade agreement, calling it a strategic platform for economic diversification, innovation, private sector development, and inclusive growth in line with the Government's ARREST Agenda. He highlighted Liberia's progress under the agreement, including ratification in 2023, submission of the Instrument of Ratification in 2024, and the launch of the National Implementation Strategy in 2025.
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According to Reeves, trade in services remains central to modern economies, especially in sectors such as finance, transport, telecommunications, tourism, education, logistics, and digital services. He stressed the importance of maintaining transparent and AfCFTA-aligned regulations to maximize opportunities under the agreement.
"The AfCFTA must create jobs for our youth, expand opportunities for women-owned businesses, support MSMEs, encourage local production, and contribute to poverty reduction and sustainable development," Reeves stated.
Also speaking, Aliou Mamadou Dia described the workshop as a critical step toward ensuring Africa's integration agenda delivers real economic opportunities for businesses and citizens. Dia said AfCFTA represents a historic opportunity to increase intra-African trade, improve competitiveness, and accelerate economic transformation across the continent.
He encouraged participants to actively engage in the discussions and reaffirmed UNDP's commitment to supporting Liberia and ECOWAS in reforms aimed at improving trade facilitation, institutional coordination, and private sector participation.
Representing the ECOWAS Commission, Nathaniel B. Walker said the workshop forms part of ECOWAS' broader efforts to support Member States in implementing the AfCFTA Agreement effectively.
Walker noted that trade in services contributes more than 51 percent of Africa's GDP and remains a major driver of economic growth, employment, and investment. He disclosed that ECOWAS deposited the draft consolidated schedule of specific commitments of Member States with the AfCFTA Secretariat in December 2025 to advance the Trade in Services agenda.
He added that regulatory audit reports are important for improving transparency, identifying barriers and opportunities in the services sector, supporting negotiations, and guiding policy reforms. Walker urged participants to actively contribute toward strengthening Liberia's readiness to implement its AfCFTA commitments.
Speaking on behalf of the Liberia Chamber of Commerce, Catherine Harris Karmo described the workshop as timely as Africa pushes toward establishing a Single African Services Market.
Karmo emphasized that the services sector remains a key pillar of modern economies and stressed the importance of aligning Liberia's domestic regulations with AfCFTA commitments to improve competitiveness and unlock economic opportunities. She described the regulatory audit process as an important tool for identifying policy gaps, removing bottlenecks, and strengthening the business environment for Liberian businesses.
She reaffirmed the Chamber's commitment to supporting reforms that improve trade facilitation, strengthen public-private partnerships, and create opportunities for Liberian enterprises.
Consultants facilitating the training said the workshop is intended to strengthen coordination among stakeholders while improving understanding of regulatory audit reports and their role in shaping trade in services policies and negotiations.
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According to the consultants, participants will review findings from Liberia's Regulatory Audit Report, including policy gaps, reform priorities, and sector-specific opportunities linked to AfCFTA implementation. They also noted that the sessions will provide an overview of trade in services concepts, rules, and developments under the AfCFTA Protocol on Trade in Services.
Participants are expected to examine trade policy trends and the cost of services trade across Africa, particularly in Liberia, while assessing how regulations affect competitiveness and market access in key sectors.
The consultants further explained that participants will engage in practical exercises to assess domestic regulations, compare them with AfCFTA commitments, and develop hypothetical commitments in sectors including construction, health, and distribution services.
The workshop, which ends on May 13, is expected to produce recommendations aimed at improving Liberia's regulatory environment, strengthening the competitiveness of trade in services, and supporting the effective implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement.
