The Minister for Communication and Digitalisation, Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, has revealed that the purpose of the AfCFTA hub launched by government is to, among other things, strengthen the industry and regulators to combat fraudsters.

According to her, government is announcing directives to accelerate the adoption of the AfCFTA Number and AfCFTA Common Transaction ID frameworks in Ghana for these and other reasons.

“The purpose of the AfCFTA Hub is to ensure that, in our quest to export our ICT goods and services across Africa and beyond, Ghanaian businesses have a trusted profile outside of Ghana, as well as to strengthen the industry and regulators to combat fraudsters who will also want to use AfCFTA to regionalize their nefarious activities.”
Ursula Owusu-Ekuful

Speaking at the launch of the AfCFTA hub undertaken by the Government of Ghana, through the Ministries of Communications and Digitalisation, and Trade and Industries, Mrs Owusu-Ekuful, indicated that beginning immediately, all individuals and businesses engaged in the courier, postal, delivery, logistics, ride-sharing, e-commerce, digital trading, or any other business of that nature must obtain a “free AfCFTA Number at www.afcfta.app” on the AfCFTA Hub Gateway.

“We expect online service providers such as Uber, Glovo, Bolt, Jumia, Tonaton, Yango, Amazon, and others to ensure that all businesses registered on their platforms secure their AfCFTA Number and begin integrating their transaction processing systems with the AfCFTA Hub as soon as possible.”
Ursula Owusu-Ekuful

The Communications Minister explained that if done correctly, all customers of such businesses and services will be able to “verify and validate their regulatory and compliance status” and increasing trust in the marketplace. Additionally, she highlighted that it will help in increasing uptake of digital services, suppressing fraud, and increase the efficiency of doing business in Ghana and elsewhere.

AfCFTA for businesses and tech start-ups

Mrs Owusu-Ekuful stated that AfCFTA should make it easier for technology startups, SMEs and other producers of ICT goods and services to find markets across Africa. She emphasized that the business process outsourcing landscape in the country can be revitalized by AfCFTA as Ghana becomes a hub for call center, data processing, data science and various digital services for businesses all over the continent and beyond.

The AfCFTA hub, the Communications Minister expressed, was designed to among other things play the role of aggregating content and tools to capacitate businesses across the country. She opined that it is also intended to upgrade businesses know-how to engage more forcefully in export markets and beyond the country.

Mrs Owusu-Ekuful explained that the mechanism of how businesses harnesses AfCFTA in relation to trading, financing trade, among others are being digitised and made available to all stakeholders through the AfCFTA hub. The accelerated AfCFTA Guide Trade Initiative, Mrs Owusu-Ekuful emphasized, commences in pilot form with Ghana and other proactive African countries taking charge.

“We shall commence on boarding young entrepreneurs, Small and Medium Enterprises, start-ups and all digital marketplace actors across the country onto the AfCFTA hub, where they can obtain a free AfCFTA number.”
Ursula Owusu-Ekuful

She indicated that the AfCFTA number will guarantee Ghanaian business a sure and secure navigation tool.