By consolidating over 50 fragmented markets into a single market of 1.4 billion people and a combined GDP of around USD3 trillion, the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) offers a transformative opportunity for inclusive and sustainable economic development across the African continent. However, the capacity of many traders, particularly Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and women and youth-owned businesses, to effectively and competitively participate in intra-African trade is often constrained by lack of access to trade-related information. Demystifying trading processes and consolidating information on the procedural and regulatory requirements for trading under the AfCFTA is crucial to empower these traders to fully engage in continental trade.
Sierra Leone has taken strategic steps towards implementing the AfCFTA Agreement since ratifying it in 2019. To advance this commitment, the Government of Sierra Leone, through its Ministry of Trade and Industry, with the technical support from the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and financial assistance from the Government of Japan, is developing a Step-by-Step Guide for Trading Goods under the AfCFTA and a Digital Trade Information Portal. These instruments are designed to bridge the existing information gaps related to trading under the AfCFTA framework.
In this regard, a three-day validation workshop is being organised to collectively review, enrich, and validate the draft Step-by-Step Guide and Trade Information Portal to ensure they are fit for purpose. The workshop will also serve as a platform to train key stakeholders on using the Trade Information Portal.
Objectives:
- Present the draft Step-by-Step Guide and Trade Information Portal to national public and private sector stakeholders
- Gather detailed feedback, corrections and practical insights regarding the content, clarity and completeness of the two instruments.
- Validate the accuracy of the outlined regulatory and procedural requirements, involved institutions and documentary requirements.
- Assess the instruments’ usefulness and accessibility for their primary target users, MSMEs, women and youth-led businesses.
- Train stakeholders on effectively using the Digital Trade Information Portal.
- Discuss the dissemination process of the instruments to ensure ownership by stakeholders and wide utilisation.
Expected Outputs:
- A validated and enriched draft Step-by-Step Guide, incorporating inputs from stakeholders
- Clear next steps for finalising and disseminating the Guide
- Knowledge among stakeholders on how to use the Digital Trade Information Portal
- Enhanced awareness among stakeholders regarding the AfCFTA trading processes.
- Strengthened collaboration between the Government and the private sector on AfCFTA implementation.
Participants:
50 participants from both the public and private sectors, including government ministries and agencies, regulatory authorities, private sector representatives, and development partners.