Government to implement structures for National Programme of Action for Boosting Intra-African Trade

Government says plans are underway to implement structures of the National Programme of Action for Boosting Intra-African Trade (BIAT) for the country to fully benefit from the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The Trade Minister, Alan Kojo Kyeremateng disclosed this in a meeting with the Advertising Association of Ghana (AAG) Executive Council members on Friday said that technical working groups have been established to ensure effective coordination and implementation of the BIAT.

The groups, he said, focused on the five major sectors of the country which include business, communication, transportation, tourism, and financial services.

Discussing the progress of the Draft Advertising Council Bill, Mr Kyeremateng indicated that his outfit has equal interest for the all the necessary processed to done for the bill to be passed into law.

The Advertising Council Bill establishes the Advertising Council to regulate the practice of advertising, register practitioners and license advertising companies.

The council is to prescribe and approve courses of study for the advertising profession and to ensure that advertising is legal, honest and fruitful and that advertising protects the best interest of the consumer.

In 2016, Cabinet approved the memoranda from the Ministry of Trade and Industry on the Advertising Council Bill.

The drafted Bill in that same year was gazetted by the government press and presented to Cabinet and sent the parliament where the first reading was heard on October 11, 2016, after which the parliament elapsed.

On his part, the AAG’s President, Torgbor Mensah told the Minister that processes to get the Bill passed are sedated.

He, therefore, charged the government to expedite processes to get them passed into law.