AfCFTA will work because of young people – Prof Abotsi

Trade barriers must be removed to achieve AfCFTA goals,Prof. Abotsi

Projects left to govt do not succeed, Prof Abotsi

Corruption affecting trade in Africa, Dean UPSA Law school

The Dean of the School of Law of the University of Professional Studies, (UPSA), Accra, Professor Ernest Kofi Abotsi has noted that the Africa Continental Free trade agreement has the potential to succeed because it is youth inclined.

Speaking at a public forum organized by the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, Prof Abotsi noted that most projects have not seen the light of day because they were handed over to government.

According to him, “the new Africa is the Africa of people and the dominantly the youth.”

“This agreement will work because of young people, because of people, because of entities. A lot of reasons why Africa may not have succeeded in implementing what some people consider lofty projects of old, have been due to the fact that these projects were left to government and African governments have not demonstrated themselves at least from past experience to have had both the commitment and in some cases the wherewithal to follow through with the agreements.”

He also intimated that Africa must start opening its borders to other countries, especially for trade purposes.

“Having undergone a process of cross-continental decolonization for over 50 years, African countries have no business maintaining and enforcing colonial boundaries erected to preserve the interest of colonial powers in the wake of colonial imperialism,” he added.

Prof.Abotsi also bemoaned the dire effects of corruption on Africa’s trade system noting that, “where traders are asked to make illicit payments or be excluded, that tends to heighten the transaction costs of doing business and this acts as a disincentive towards commencing and sustaining business across the continent.”