Virtual training for National Approval Committee (NAC) Members of Guinee on the ETLS, 12th – 14th October 2020.
In fulfilment of Article 3(§ 2d-e) of the ECOWAS Revised Treaty, the ECOWAS Commission through the Directorate of Customs Union and taxation in collaboration with the Trade Facilitating West Africa Programme II (implemented by GIZ) organised a Virtual training for National Approval Committee (NAC) Members of Guinee on the 12th – 14th October 2020.
The main purpose of the training was to expose and reacquaint NAC members with the operational mechanism of the ETLS Scheme and tactically address frequently identified challenges and difficulties encountered by the NAC in the approval of Enterprises and Products.
The National Approval Committee chairman Guinee, Mrs Sona Baro in her opening address thanked the President of the ECOWAS Mr Jean-Claude Kassi Brou, the Commissioner of Trade Customs and Free Movement of Person Mr Tei Konzi, Director of the Customs Union and Taxation Mr Salifou Tiemtore and the TFWA II Head Programme Mrs Rosemond Asante, for their commitment toward the realisation of the regional common market through the effective implementation of the ETLS scheme. She reiterated that the NAC is a key component to the smooth implementation of the Scheme and hence they (NAC) require continuous training to effectively and efficiently discharge their duties. She charged NAC Members of Guinee to interface with the ETLS experts during the training and ensure that all issues relating to the APPROVAL processes would be resolved.
The Head of Component Trade Facilitation West Africa (TFWA II) GiZ, Mrs Rosemond Asante commended the ECOWAS Commission and NAC Members for their incessant dedication towards the ETLS. She re-established that the aim of the TFWA is to improve the movement of goods within the region and internationally by reducing the time and cost of trade for the private sector and support of Small scale cross border trade. She stated that the Current successes recorded by the Scheme in the Approval of 7386 Products and 2568 Enterprise are an Indication that the ETLS, effectively implemented would exceed the current approval recorded. Furthermore, she said that the training was indeed timely as the ECOWAS gradually moves towards the actualisation of the Customs Union and the implementation of the AFCFTA, she admonished the NAC Member of Guinee to seize the opportunities presented by the Training to foster a deeper understanding of the Schemes` operational mechanism in their capacity as NAC members responsible for the ETLS nationally.
At the end of the three days training, members of the NAC Guinee were grateful for the practical nature of the training having been exposed to the operational mechanism of the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS), various Presentation on the “Standard application file for approval, Practical guide for filling in the application files for approval, Checklist for the examination of applications for approval and requisite elements of the file to be transmitted to the ECOWAS Commission by a Member Stats.
In his closing remarks the Director of Customs Union and Taxation, Mr Salifou Tiemtore on behalf of the President of the ECOWAS Commission and Commissioner of Customs, Trade and Free Movement of Persons appreciated the Head of Components Trade Facilitation West Africa representing the GIZ and the Chairman of the National Approval Committee Guinee Mrs Sona for the exceptional Conduct of the Training and work well done. He reassured the NAC members that the ECOWAS Commission and the Directorate will continuously provide training to improve and expand the capacity of Members of the NAC as it relates to the smooth implementation of the ETLS Scheme.
