Ghana solicits Integration in ECOWAS
The Tide, Nigeria
Ghana solicits Integration in ECOWAS
17 August 2006
Countries within the African region have been implored not to allow nations standards to continue to present technical barriers to the free flow of goods both within and beyond the borders of he Economic Community of West African States.
According to a release signed by the Head of public relations department of standard organisation of Nigeria (SON), Mr. Fashina Adebola and made available to our correspondent in Lagos, said the Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Private Sector Development in Ghana Hon. Kofi Osi Ameyaw in his key note address delivered at the opening of a two day seminar on “Developing A Harmonised Reyinal Sanitary and Phytosanitary policy for the West African Region.
PROINVEST in collaboration with the Ghana National Chamber of commerce and Industry and standard organisation of Nigeria (SON), the simmer emphasised that “it would be prudent to do away with discriminatory, salt centred, government imposed trade restrictions among states and open up to liberalisation with a view to advocating and adopting common standardization and standard setting policies.”
Ameyand Stated that ECOWAS Counties stand to gain economically from regionalising their standards and standardisation institutions, given that the importance of harmonised standards policy far outweigh the loss of some sovereignty of national policy.
The Ghanian minister expressed delight that Ghana and Nigeria which are currently spearheading the common monetary zone for West Africa are also moring towards cooperation in standardisation.
Ameyaw, enthused that continuous progress was being made in priority programmes such as the free movement of persons and goods, the common currently programme, armonisation of economic and fiscal policies as well as protocol on community levy.
The Deputy Minister, therefore called for the pratical and effective fusion of these achievements with standardisation in order to achieve Regional Harmorusation of standards.
