The organizers of the 6th Ghana International Trade and Finance Conference (GITFiC) stated that this year’s event will feature conversations on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the role of local governance in helping with extensive sensitization, education, and preparing the minds of the business communities within metropolitan, municipal, and district localities.

According to the programme outline, this year’s event will take place in the country’s capital, Accra, on May 23 & 24, 2022 at the plush Alisa Hotel, North Ridge, Accra. Meanwhile, organizers revealed that the conference will update the evidence on what is currently available in terms of reviewing the AfCFTA, and data on digital trade, and in doing so, identify potential options for estimating the value of the Cross Border Payment & Settlement system given the current data gaps.

The first panel for day one discussion is themed ‘Towards an Effective and Efficient Mobile Money Transactional Penetrations in Africa; A Catalyst to solving Cross Border Payment & Settlement, an Anticipated-Barrier within the AfCFTA– The Role of Financial Regulators and Stakeholders.’

The panelist includes the Vice president of VISA, MasterCard; SWIFT’s Senior Country Director for Western Africa; Chief Executive of Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications; Chief Executive of the Association of Micro-finance institutions in Kenya; and the Regional Head of Société Général in West Africa based in Abidjan.

Second Day of the Conference

The second day of the conference is themed: ‘Measuring the Acceptability and Adaptation Level of the AfCFTA on the African Continent a Year after Implementation of the 1st Phase- Where do we stand in terms of Trade in Goods, Trade in Service, and Dispute Resolution Protocols (Policy Direction),’ with focus on the Role of Africa’s Local Governance Structures in preparing their various business communities to take advantage.

On day two, the panel dubbed ‘The Trade Minister’s Panel,’ will see some selected Trade Ministers within the continent joining the conclave. The final panel discussion on day 2 is on the theme: ‘Leveraging on the pillars of Trade-Finance – A catalyst for Industrial Growth and Acceleration Post Pandemic; the Role of Payment, Financing, Risk Mitigation, and Access to Information.’ This panel will seek to address current woes facing industries due to the prolonged restrictions on the COVID pandemic, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, and the post-pandemic– the available finance options for industry.

The third panel comprises the Vice President of the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development, the Head of Trade Finance at the African Development Bank, the Ivorian President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Special Advisor to the Ivorian President of the Federation of SMEs.

Moreover, the Special Invited Guests include the African Union Economic Commissioner for Trade, Industry, and Mining. In addition to that, the Director-General of the West African Monetary Institute will lecture on a special presentation on the entire scope of the implementation of the Pan African Payment and Settlement System- an undeniable critical component of the Continental Free Trade Area.

The 6th edition of GITFiC will be attended by the diplomatic corps who will represent their various countries and also contribute to the discussions.