Guinean Stakeholders Trained on ECOWAS Revised Preferential Treatment

The Director General of Guinea Conakry Customs, General Moussa Camara, expressed his appreciation for the training organized by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission. This training was aimed at enhancing the skills of trainers on the ECOWAS Revised Preferential Treatment framework.

The three-day workshop, which commenced on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, in Conakry, Guinea, focused on strengthening the capacity of Guinean stakeholders to implement ECOWAS trade procedures and regulations. Key among these is the preferential tariff treatment granted to products originating from ECOWAS member states, aimed at promoting intra-regional trade.

This training is expected to give participants a comprehensive understanding of the revised preferential treatment provisions, equipping them to train other economic actors in Guinea. General Camara highlighted that the training would provide Guinean customs officials with better tools to understand ECOWAS rules of origin within the framework of the trade liberalization scheme across the community.

“This scheme supports the growth of regional industries and enhances trade among ECOWAS member states. It enables industries to benefit from customs duty exemptions, contributing to the development of West African industries, businesses, and economic operators by increasing their production capacities and facilitating exports to other ECOWAS countries,” he noted.

The General emphasized that this workshop was timely, especially in enhancing the capacities of customs agents and the Directorate General of Integration of Guinea. Salifou Tiemtoré, Director of Customs Union and Taxation at the ECOWAS Commission, also expressed his satisfaction with the workshop in Guinea. He remarked that Guinea plays a dynamic role in trade, maintaining significant commercial ties with its neighboring countries.

“Trade is a critical factor for development, and Guinea engages in substantial trade with its neighbors. Our objective is to assist the Guinean customs administration in better understanding the legal frameworks and procedures that confer community origin on products manufactured in Guinea. This will enable the country to support the private sector, maximizing the benefits of ECOWAS regulations and fostering the growth of Guinea’s industrial base,” Tiemtoré concluded.

The workshop brought together customs officers, representatives from the Ministries of Trade, Industry, Economy, Finance, and Regional Integration, private sector organizations, companies, and industrialists. These stakeholders are directly involved in the implementation of ECOWAS trade policies.

The objective of the training was to promote a deeper understanding of the new trade regulations and enhance the effective implementation of regional agreements. It also aimed to boost the competitiveness of companies within ECOWAS member states, foster regional integration, ensure regulatory compliance, and facilitate a “train-the-trainer” model, enabling participants to pass on their expertise to other economic actors, thereby extending the impact of the training.