The Director General of Guinea Conakry Customs, General Moussa Camara, acknowledged the training organized by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission. This initiative was designed to improve the skills of trainers on the ECOWAS Revised Preferential Treatment framework.
The workshop, spanning three days and starting on October 15, 2024, in Conakry, Guinea, aimed to enhance the capacity of Guinean stakeholders in implementing ECOWAS trade procedures and regulations. Central to these efforts is the preferential tariff treatment for products originating from ECOWAS member states, intended to boost intra-regional trade.
Participants are expected to gain a comprehensive understanding of the revised preferential treatment provisions. This knowledge will enable them to train other economic actors in Guinea. General Camara noted that this training would equip Guinean customs officials with better tools to comprehend ECOWAS rules of origin within 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 stated.
General Camara emphasized that this workshop was timely for 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 satisfaction with the workshop in Guinea. He highlighted Guinea's dynamic role in 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 growth within Guinea’s industrial base,” Tiemtoré concluded.
The workshop gathered customs officers; representatives from Ministries of Trade, Industry, Economy, Finance; Regional Integration; private sector organizations; companies; and industrialists involved directly in implementing ECOWAS trade policies.
The training aimed at promoting a deeper understanding of new trade regulations while enhancing effective implementation of regional agreements. It sought to boost competitiveness among companies within ECOWAS member states, foster regional integration, ensure regulatory compliance, and implement a “train-the-trainer” model allowing participants to pass on their expertise further afield.
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