By: Michael Kofi Kenetey
The government of Ghana represented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, MFARI together with the National African Peer Review Mechanism Governing Council, NAPRM-GC has held a day’s stakeholder engagements of Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs with the Ghana’s Targeted Review Mission Team in Koforidua, the Eastern Regional capital.
The engagement was on the theme “Corporate Governance as a Catalyst to the Implementation of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area, AfCFTA”.
The broad objective of the Targeted Review is to identify governance gaps to improve corporate governance standards, policies and practices in Ghana to harness the benefits of the implementation of the AfCFTA in Ghana.
The regional engagement in Koforidua is to examine Ghana’s corporate governance structures, legislation and regulations with the aim of strengthening government’s effort to promote good corporate governance standards and practice, enhance the regulatory framework and environment for easy way of doing business by companies.
Ambassador Abdoulie Janneh, who is the Panel Member and Leader of the Mission noted that the engagement is to solicit opinions and ideas from stakeholders to promote good governance.
The country Coordinator for APRM Continental Secretariat South Africa, Bashir Salifu Oumarou mentioned some four thematic areas that the Africa Peer Review Mechanism operation is focused on as democracy and political governance, economic governance and management, corporate governance and socio-economic development.
The outcome of the engagement is expected to improve and increase cross-border trade, market access and capital flow, increase productivity, innovation and competitive of domestic firms and the business sector’s position to optimize trade opportunities in the implementation of the AfCFTA in Ghana.
The stakeholders were from National Commission for Civic Education, NCCE, Food and Drugs Authority, FDA, Civil Society Organizations, Traditional and Opinion leaders and other MDAs.
The APRM which was initiated in 2002 and established in 2003 by the African Union in the framework of the implementation of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, NEPAD is 20 years this year.
The team earlier paid a courtesy call on the Omanhene of New Juaben Traditional Area, Daasebre Nana Kwaku Boateng to seek his blessings.
