Ghana endorses EPA in October
Joy Business | Tuesday, 21 July 2009
Ghana endorses EPA in October
Story by Fiifi Koomson/Joy Business/Ghana
Trade and Industry Minister Hannah Tetteh says Ghana will trade only in goods under the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) – contrary to suggestions the country would also be trading in services.
Ms Tetteh disclosed this when she interacted with business and financial journalists in Accra on Tuesday.
Ghana, together with other ECOWAS countries, will sign on to the EPA in October.
Although Ghana had earlier agreed with Europe to continue to impose taxes on 20 per cent of its imports under the EPA, negotiations at the ECOWAS level is pushing for an increase in the percentage of goods classified as sensitive to between 30 and 40 per cent.
She said the country is focusing on having an EPADP – Economic Partnership Agreement Development Programme in addition to the EPA on which the country will trade with its partners in goods.
Ms Tetteh however hinted that negotiations regarding trade in services and intellectual property issues have been deferred “for the future" as the country is "just looking at trade in goods for now.”
