The survey, which will take place in selected regional capitals namely; Greater Accra, Greater Kumasi, Takoradi, Tamale, and Koforidua would be led by Gerald Ekow Woode, Senior Research Fellow of Policy and Advocate at GITFiC.

A statement signed and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Tuesday said the survey would further assess the private sector’s readiness towards the implementation of the AfCFTA as well as provide a comprehensive and reliable information source to help the government, local authorities, and private economic sectors to build up socio-economic development plans to improve intra African trade.

 “This initiative will generate a diagnostics report which would help to develop practical steps or a road map in addressing the gaps and challenges. The quality of the survey is greatly subjected to the information provided by our experienced field personnel.”

The statement said the two-page survey questionnaire had been carefully vetted to reflect the quality response expected from the Business Community in the regions and field enumerators would reach out to about 6,000 industries, companies, and SMEs across the five selected regions in Ghana.

It said a call for enumerators was publicly circulated in October and November 2021 and more than 800 applications were received from the public.

“The 800 applicants were narrowed down to 20 after a rigorous selection process. The 20 finalists were, in December 2021, taken through various preparatory stages. In January 2022, the 20 finalists have met all requirements and have been fully certified by us to carry out this assignment.”

“We believe that with a high responsible spirit, available enthusiasm, and a strong desire to contribute to the development of the country, the public will kindly grant our field personnel the audience to fulfill their duties in the various establishments ear-marked for this exercise.

“The success of this survey will be partly due to the contribution of our field personnel and we implore the public to cooperate with them for the task ahead.”

 Africa’s journey towards an integrated and prosperous continent attained an important milestone on May 30, 2019 with its participation in the Agreement, establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The commercialisation of Accra as the commercial capital of Africa by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo refers to improving intra-African trade in goods and services to accelerate a continental free trade area and transition it into a continental common external tariff scheme.

This provides a key pathway for regional trade integration as it seeks to improve rural infrastructure and trade-related capacities for market access to transform trade and sustain inclusive growth and also, by enhancing market and value chains.

The Ghana International Trade and Finance Conference (GITFiC) is a reputed private sector initiative that is working closely with the private sector and the government sector within the Sub-region and the continent at large to drive the Continental Free Trade Agreement (CFTA), broader Trade & Finance development agenda of the continent as defined in the AU’s Agenda 2063, global trade issues, and other Trade, Trade-Finance, Logistics, and Finance Agreements.