…Advocates for a more friendly, competitive ports
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission has assured that unlike other protocols in the past which had suffered from non compliance, the ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CETC) would be fully complied with to ensure its utmost survival.
A member of the Commission, Mr. Felix Kwakye who gave the assurance at a forum in Lagos stated that the ECOWAS CET was very dear to the hearts of the leaders as evident in the establishment of a research team from the Commission which presents robust half yearly report to the ECOWAS Council of States in terms of the application of the ECOWAS CET.
He disclosed that that the team was in Accra last month and presented a report on the implementation of the ECOWAS CET.
According to him,” All the Ministers from the 15 member countries were there and I can also assure you that even in August, from the first week of August, a team of ECOWAS will visit all the 15 member countries to look at exactly what is happening on the ground and report back to the Commission so that the Commission can present firm stand of the Commission on the application of the CET to the Council of Ministers which will be forwarded to the ECOWAS authority of Heads of States and Government”.
Speaking on having a uniform port charges across the 15 member countries so that trade is not diverted from one country to the other, Kwakye said,” The decision resides with the importer to decide whether to import through Apapa ports or pass through the Ports of Tema in Ghana or pass through Cotonou.
“it is very much a function of the efficiency of the port, the efficiency and trade facilitation method that are in operation and I think as it is, ECOWAS has not statutorily stated which port the importers are to pass through but let us make our ports competitive, business friendly and conducive for importers to pass through”.
