By Godfrey’s Bivbere

Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, yesterday charged members of the West and Central Africa sub-region of the Union of African Shippers Council, UASC, to work at implementing the World Trade Organization, WTO, trade facilitation agreement.

Rotimi Amaechi

The minister also charged UASC members to review issues relating to port operations and the sea-link projects which are key to effective realisation of the sub-region’s maritime goals.

He stated: “The sub-regional workshop should assess the implementation of World Trade Organization, WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement, TFA, and issues relating to port operations, sea-link project, which are key to the effective realisation of the sub-region’s maritime goals.

“The meeting should consider issues arising from the implementation of the International Maritime Organization, IMO, Container Weighing Regime on Verified Gross Mass, VGM. Issues bothering on cargo destined for landlocked countries which have capacity to boost trade and realise seamless as well as efficient trade in the sub-region are to be deliberated upon”.

According to him, the West and Central Africa sub-region has great economic potentials, especially in the maritime sector, which they must harness and exploit through concerted effort and collection of member states for the sustainable growth of the economies.

The minister commended the United Nation Conference on Trade and Development, UNCTAD, for its technical support to UASC and member countries which, he believe, will scale up the activities of Shippers Council towards making West and Central African sub-region globally competitive in international trade.