The Ministry of Trade and Industry, in collaboration with the ECOWAS Commission and Trade Facilitation West Africa (TFWA), organized a two-day workshop for the National Trade Facilitation Committee (NTFC) on September 30th and October 1st, 2024.
This workshop marks a key step in Sierra Leone’s efforts to improve trade facilitation, aiming to reduce business costs, mitigate risks, and enhance the country’s competitiveness.
Trade Minister Alpha Ibrahim Sesay reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to fostering a business-friendly environment, emphasizing partnerships with organizations like the World Bank, ECOWAS, and TFWA. He also highlighted two key initiatives—the Integrated Risk Management Framework and the Time Release Study—set for completion by December 2024.
The workshop focused on equipping NTFC members with the necessary skills to ensure Sierra Leone’s compliance with the World Trade Organization Trade Facilitation Agreement (WTO-TFA) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). These agreements offer Sierra Leone access to broader markets, simplified trade processes, and greater competitiveness both regionally and globally.
Minister Sesay encouraged active participation in discussions on modernizing trade processes, in line with President Julius Maada Bio’s Big Five Agenda, particularly Human Capital Development. The workshop’s goal is to empower trade stakeholders and customs officials to foster economic growth, support SMEs, and create job opportunities.
In his closing remarks, the Minister thanked ECOWAS and TFWA for their continued support and urged participants to fully utilize the workshop’s resources to ensure a more efficient, transparent, and competitive trade system in Sierra Leone.
