The Ministry of Trade and Industry is urging member states of the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA) to develop the right policy frameworks to promote the development of both Special Economic Zones and the operationalization of AfCFTA. <br> <br>According to the Ministry of Trade, this will also enable private sector operators to harness the benefits and facilitate intra-Africa trade. <br> <br>Addressing delegates on behalf of the Minister of Trade, Alan Kyerematen at the 6th Africa Economic Zones Organization (AEZO) Annual Meeting, Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, noted that accessing trade information and ensuring smooth operations at the ports are part of the many policies Ghana has instituted to address the challenges of the private sector. <br> <br>“The private sector operators cannot harness the benefits of both SEZs and the operationalization of AfCFTA if we do not develop programmes and projects to deal with the high cost of trading across our borders, weak trade infrastructure, inefficient customs clearance, and unnecessary bureaucracy and red tape which tend to impede smooth regional trade. It is in the light of these challenges that Member States of AfCFTA need to pay dedicated attention to the various elements being promoted under the African Union’s Programme of Action for Boosting Intra Africa Trade (BIAT).”