The task force on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Trade Liberalisation Scheme (TLS) has held a meeting to take stock of eight years of action in the field
The meeting was attended by the Chairman of the TLS Task Force, Dr Mohamed Ibn CHAMBAS, the ECOWAS Commission's Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, Ms Massandjé TOURE-LITSE, members of the first and second teams of the TLS Task Force, executives from the Customs Union and Taxation Directorate, and representatives of associations lobbying for the free movement of people and goods in West Africa, including AOCTAH/WACTAF, the Borderless Alliance, ENDA-CACID, NANTS, and ROPPA.
In his welcoming remarks, the Chairman of the TLS Task Force, Dr Mohamed Ibn CHAMBAS, recalled the main objective of the meeting, which is not only to take stock of the actions of the TLS Task Force since the installation of the first team in 2016 up to the present day, to analyse without complacency the strengths and weaknesses of the said actions, but also to make relevant proposals likely to reinforce the gains made and correct the weaknesses, with a view to eliminating obstacles to intra-regional trade.
Opening the meeting on behalf of the President of the ECOWAS Commission, H.E Dr Omar Alieu TOURAY, the Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, Mrs Massandjé LITSE-TOURE, welcomed the key role played by the TLS Task Force in deepening intra-community trade through the free movement of people and goods. She praised the leadership of Dr CHAMBAS, who has brought a number of trade facilitation reforms to the attention of the region's highest authorities, with tangible results.
The plenary session, which lasted three days, enabling participants to make proposals to allow the TLS Task Force to be more effective in its future actions. The participants also recommended that the TLS Task Force should advocate for the strengthening of Member States' commitment to regional integration through the appointment of a Special Adviser to the Cabinet of each President of the Republic or Prime Minister. This Special Adviser to the President or Prime Minister should, as a matter of priority, monitor the application by national administrations of Community texts on the free movement of persons and goods. It was also recommended that the TLS Task Force should step up its lobbying of governments on the issue of speeding up the digitisation of customs and trade procedures in order to facilitate the flow of goods along the various ECOWAS trade corridors.
Beyond the question of the mandate of the Task Force on TLS, the participants seized the opportunity of this review meeting, in connection with the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of ECOWAS, to make proposals to be fed back into the reflection on the ECOWAS of the future. These include the creation of an ECOWAS solidarity fund to promote balanced development within the community. ECOWAS should launch federative infrastructure projects (roads, railways, energy, interconnectivity, etc.) based on endogenous resources. Finally, a panel of eminent personalities will be set up to review the ECOWAS Treaty, with a view to strengthening the roles of the Parliament and the Community Court of Justice.
The Chairman of the TLS Task Force, Dr Mohamed Ibn CHAMBAS, will shortly be travelling to Abuja to report to the Chairman of the Commission on the results of the Abidjan meeting.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Zawya
5 hours ago
- Zawya
Oil funds for ‘Big Push' will be efficiently used, Mahama tells Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC)
President John Dramani Mahama has assured members of the Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) that oil revenues earmarked for his proposed $10 billion 'Big Push' infrastructure initiative will be efficiently disbursed and managed. The President gave the assurance during a courtesy call by the PIAC members. Led by its Chairman, Mr Constantine K.M. Kudzedzi, the Committee members visited to congratulate the President on his recent election victory and discuss matters concerning the management of Ghana's oil revenues. President Mahama outlined his government's ambitious plan to invest $10 billion over the next five years, allocating $2 billion annually, into priority infrastructure projects across the country. These projects will target key sectors, including roads, major bridges, education, and health infrastructure, as well as areas vital for boosting productivity in the agriculture sector. He specified that agricultural projects under the 'Big Push' would encompass irrigation schemes, construction of farmer service centres, and support for agribusiness development. The President stated that the primary sources of funding for this significant policy initiative would be petroleum revenue and minerals royalties. Commending PIAC for its vital role, President Mahama praised the Committee's efforts in monitoring and ensuring transparency and accountability in the utilisation of Ghana's petroleum revenues. He highlighted PIAC as a commendable model for other countries seeking effective oversight mechanisms. President Mahama inaugurates committee for UGMC transfer to University of Ghana. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Presidency, Republic of Ghana.
Zawya
a day ago
- Zawya
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) strengthens its strategy to make West Africa a world tourist destination of choice
ECOWAS Commission has launched a four-day technical meeting on the 8th of July,2025 in Cotonou, Benin. This meeting brings together experts from Member States to examine six draft classification standards for tourist accommodation establishments. The standards, drawn up on the basis of various workshops organised as part of the ECOWAS tourism policy (ECOTOUR), concern hotels, motels, inns, ecolodges, aparthotels and holiday villages. The event is jointly organised by the private sector and industry directorates. In her opening speech, the Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, Mrs Massandje Toure-Litse, represented by the Director of the Private Sector, Dr Tony Luka Elumelu, recalled ECOWAS's ambition to make tourism a major lever for economic development and regional integration. She affirmed that the region is striving to build a flourishing tourism industry, drawing on international best practice adapted to the West African context, with the aim of making it a world tourist destination of choice. She emphasised that this strategy is based on five closely linked pillars: strengthening infrastructure, including investment in transport, accommodation and tourist attractions; relaxing regional visa policies for third-country nationals to improve accessibility, streamline procedures and foster greater people-to-people diplomacy; the harmonisation of sectoral standards and regulations to facilitate travel, trade and enhance the overall tourism experience; the promotion of sustainable tourism practices that ensure an environmentally friendly, socially responsible and economically viable industry; and collaboration and partnerships between stakeholders in the sector to pool expertise, share knowledge and develop effective solutions to common challenges. She stressed the importance of implementing a coherent, collaborative and sustainable approach to tourism in order to stimulate national economies, strengthen cultural exchanges and ensure the sustainability of the sector. In reaffirming the Commission's commitment to responsible tourism practices, she emphasised the need to minimise the negative impacts of tourism on the environment, local cultures and host communities, and stressed the importance of implementing a coherent, collaborative and sustainable approach to tourism in order to stimulate national economies, strengthen cultural exchanges and ensure the sustainability of the sector. In reaffirming the Commission's commitment to responsible tourism practices, she emphasised the need to minimise the negative impacts of tourism on the environment, local cultures and host communities. The Director General of the Standards Agency of the Republic of Benin, Mohamed Nazif El-Hadji Alassane, representing Benin's Minister of Trade and Industry, Mrs Alimatou Shadiya Assouman, welcomed ECOWAS' efforts to harmonise standards and regulations in the tourism sector. He stressed that this will help to transform the region into a single tourism market, while boosting tourism, employment and public revenue, with positive spin-offs for the economies of Member States. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Zawya
a day ago
- Zawya
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) permanent representatives committee confers with the commissioner of political affairs, peace and security
The Standing Committee on Political Affairs, Peace and Security of the ECOWAS Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC) conferred with the ECOWAS Commission's Commissioner of Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah on the 10th of July 2025, in Abuja, Nigeria. Discussions centred on ways of consolidating the existing collaboration between the PRC and the Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security as well as the enhancement of strategic information flow and implementation of decisions by the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government. Led by His Excellency Musa Sani Nuhu, the Permanent Representative of Nigeria to ECOWAS, the Ambassadors expressed great appreciation to the Commissioner and the Department for the strong and close partnership in working together over the last three years on matters of peace and stability in West Africa. On his part, Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah congratulated the Sierra Leonean High Commissioner, His Excellency Julius Sandy on his country's ascension to Chairmanship of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government and noted that the need for constant interactions with the ambassadors cannot be overemphasised. The Commissioner who was flanked by the Director, Peace Keeping and Regional Security (DPKRS) Dr. Cyriaque Agnekethom, Gen. Mactar Diop, Chief of Staff of the ECOWAS Standby Force and staff of the Department stressed that high-pitched attention will continue to be paid to the work of the Department owing to its strategic role in providing responses to core issues of sustainable peace, security, stability and regional integration. He further harped on the need to have an organic and structured way of feeding into the decision-making processes that are also binding on stakeholders, similar to the arrangements at the United Nations and the African Union. 'There is a need to think regionally. We need that two-way communication between the Department and Member States. How do we contribute as a Department to make sure that the PRC achieves its goals. The forum is therefore something to embrace as it creates an avenue to exchange ideas for the benefit of our region' The Commissioner added. Members of the Permanent Representatives assured the Department and ECOWAS of their continuous cooperation to move the region forward Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
