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In his remarks on behalf of the Minister of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment of the Gambia, Mr Lamin CAMARA, Permanent Secretary, welcomed delegates to the 7th Meeting of the RTFC in Banjul and expressed appreciation to the ECOWAS Commission for selecting The Gambia to host the Meeting. He underscored that trade facilitation remains central to the ECOWAS integration agenda and highlighted the importance of reducing the cost and time associated with cross-border trade. While acknowledging the progress made by ECOWAS, he noted that persistent challenges, including non-tariff barriers (NTBs), fragmented border procedures, multiple checkpoints, duplicative inspections, and opaque regulations, continue to hinder regional trade and disproportionately affect Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and small-scale cross-border traders. He further outlined national achievements in trade facilitation, including the modernization of customs systems through digital upgrades, the implementation of electronic cargo tracking systems, and investments in port infrastructure through public-private partnerships.
In his goodwill remarks, Mr Moussa TROARE, Trade Promotion Officer at the UEMOA Commission, reaffirmed UEMOA’s commitment to regional trade facilitation and economic integration efforts within West Africa. He welcomed the convening of the 7th ECOWAS RTFC Meeting and commended ECOWAS for sustaining an important platform for dialogue and coordination on trade facilitation reforms. He highlighted that the region continues to face numerous old and emerging challenges affecting trade and cross-border commerce. In this context, he emphasized the importance of maintaining and strengthening dialogue platforms that enable stakeholders to identify root causes of trade barriers and develop effective and sustainable solutions. He concluded by underscoring the need to begin discussions on the long-term sustainability of NTFCs and their financing, particularly in light of evolving global funding constraints.
On behalf of the Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, Dr Kalilou SYLLA, Mr. Kolawole SOFOLA, Director of Trade, welcomed participants and expressed appreciation to the Government of The Gambia for hosting the meeting. He recalled the key directives adopted by Ministers during the 5th Joint Meeting of ECOWAS Ministers of Trade and Industry held in Accra on 11 – 12 June 2026, including the selection of regional champions to spearhead the elimination of non-tariff barriers as well as digitalization of trade procedures in the region. He also highlighted the important participation of a wide range of stakeholders, ensuring that trade facilitation reforms respond to the realities faced by traders and border communities. He recalled that the RTFC was established by the ECOWAS Council of Ministers in 2021 as the principal platform for dialogue, coordination, monitoring and peer review of trade facilitation reforms in the region. He noted that the Committee is a critical mechanism for ensuring implementation of commitments under: the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA); the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA); and ECOWAS regional trade instruments.
During three days, Experts from Member States representing ministries responsible for trade, customs administration, national private sector, as well as civil society organizations and development partners, discussed and made recommendations including the improved regional coordination on border management, enhanced regional approach to addressing non-tariff barriers (NTBs), accelerated digitalization of cross-border trade processes and the deployment and interoperability of single window systems, trade information portals, and digital customs instruments, including SIGMAT, electronic certificates of origin, and e-phyto systems.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
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