Ghana has taken another major step toward deepening its readiness for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, in partnership with the GIZ Trade Hub, held a technical capacity-building workshop in Accra on Tuesday, 25th November 2025.
The workshop focused on reviewing Ghana’s Regulatory Audit Report on Trade in Services and assessing its implications for the country’s upcoming commitments under AfCFTA’s services liberalisation framework. Stakeholders from the business, financial, professional, logistics, and allied services sectors participated in the day-long session.
Delivering the Ministry’s opening remarks, Madam Stella A. Ansah, Director of Multilateral, Regional and Bilateral Trade (MRBT), emphasized the crucial role of the services sector in Ghana’s economic performance. She revealed that services contributed 46.8 percent of GDP in the first quarter of 2025, driven by strong growth in ICT, financial, and insurance services.
With AfCFTA member states expected to progressively open their services markets as part of Phase II negotiations, Madam Ansah underscored the importance of understanding which sectors Ghana should commit to and at what pace. She expressed gratitude to GIZ for its sustained technical support and stressed that stakeholder contributions would directly influence Ghana’s negotiation strategy.
“At the end of the day, you will see me knocking at your doors for your inputs to help Ghana take a good decision in submitting our commitments,” she said.
Representing GIZ, Ms. Sophea Kamarudeen highlighted that while earlier AfCFTA engagements were centered on trade in goods, recent efforts have shifted to services—particularly business and financial services, which formed the core of the workshop’s discussions.
She explained that the meeting sought to validate the findings of the 2021 Regulatory Audit Report to determine whether the recommendations remain relevant in the current regulatory and economic landscape. She added that AfCFTA requires member states to demonstrate progressive improvement in their services-sector commitments, making stakeholder input essential.
Ms. Kamarudeen also disclosed that the European Union has provided additional funding to strengthen technical support for the services negotiations, making preparatory workshops such as this one even more significant.
Participants engaged with detailed presentations from Professor Paul Kuruk of the Institute for African Development (INADEV), who facilitated the technical sessions. His presentations covered the classification of services, the four modes of supply, regulatory barriers, and an in-depth review of the Draft Regulatory Audit Report.
Stakeholders analyzed the draft report, validated key sections, and offered new recommendations to strengthen Ghana’s approach as it prepares for the next round of AfCFTA negotiations.
The workshop concluded with reflections on outstanding issues and identified next steps. Participants reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Ghana in crafting AfCFTA commitments that safeguard national interests while unlocking new opportunities for economic growth, investment, and competitiveness across the services sector.
