Burkinabe organizations in Ghana, Togo, Benin, Côte d'Ivoire pay a courtesy visit to AfCFTA Secretariat General in Accra

As a reminder, since January 2021, free trade has officially started under AfCFTA Agreement.

Aware of the crucial role that the private sector of Burkina Faso should play for the success of this free trade instrument, the Secretary-General of AfCFTA, His Excellency Wankele Mene stayed in Ouagadougou last June under the leadership of His Excellency the Ambassador of Burkina Faso to Ghana, Pingrenoma Zagre in order to interact with the authorities on the approach of the agreement.

In the aftermath of this high-level mission, the need for AfCFTA General Secretariat to bring together stakeholders from Burkinabe institutions working within Burkina Faso's supply ports (Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Côte d'Ivoire) proved to be important.

Therefore, a meeting was held on 22nd September 2021 at AfCFTA headquarters in Accra, bringing together representatives of Burkina Faso Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI-BF), Burkina Shippers' Council (CBC), and Burkina National Petroleum Products Company (SONABHY), to enable them to take ownership of AfCFTA various protocols and to undertake concrete action in implementing the Agreement.

The interactions highlighted the central role of the Burkinabe private sector, through its Chamber of Commerce and Industry as an institution, to raise awareness of AfCFTA instruments in the Burkinabe business community. The proper implementation of AfCFTA will promote the development of the national value chain.