Sierra Leonean Minister for Trade and Industry Ibrahim Alpha Sesay has called for the removal of various barriers that hinder the trade within the African continent.
Sesay made this call on Friday during a panel discussion at the Africa Prosperity Dialogue in Ghana’s Eastern Region.
“Most of the systems we apply on the continent are still not automated and not digitalized, so we still have a lot of bureaucratic bottlenecks, and where there is bureaucracy, the cost of doing business increases,” the minister said.
Sesay said due to these barriers, there is a long delay in the movement of transit cargo between countries, increasing the cost of doing business and making the goods uncompetitive.
He, therefore, called for a rapid transformation of border and port control and tariff systems to enhance intra-Africa trade and boost the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Sesay also urged African leaders to improve trading regulations to promote a seamless continental trade area.
The three-day Africa Prosperity Dialogue, which closed on Saturday, is organized annually by the AfCFTA Secretariat and the African Prosperity Network, a think tank, to create a platform for technocrats, political and business leaders to formulate ideas that will help transform Africa into a global powerhouse.