Ghana Pushes For Smoother Trade As NTFC Closes Out The Year

The 50-member National Trade Facilitation Committee (NTFC) held its 3rd and final meeting of the year in Accra on Tuesday, December 2, 2025.

The meeting which brought together representatives from government agencies, development partners, private sector actors, and trade facilitation institutions to assess progress made during the year under review and address key challenges within Ghana’s trade ecosystem.

The Chairman of the NTFC, Mr. Alex Mensah, opened the meeting by reaffirming the Committee’s commitment to strengthening coordination, improving operational efficiency, and advancing Ghana’s competitiveness under international and regional frameworks such as the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) and the AfCFTA.
He commended stakeholders for their dedication throughout the year and encouraged continued momentum in implementing reforms.

The Vice Chairman, Mr. Raymond Amaglo, emphasized institutional accountability and stronger collaboration among NTFC member institutions.

He provided a detailed recap of previous meetings, highlighting achievements in capacity building, enhanced regional cooperation, progress toward meeting WTO TFA obligations, and improvements in trade infrastructure and logistics. He urged institutions to take full ownership of their assigned tasks to ensure the effective delivery of national trade facilitation objectives.

Representing TradeMark Africa (TMA), Mr. Wilfred Essuman, expressed appreciation for the cooperation of all stakeholders and applauded Ghana’s leadership and innovation in advancing key trade facilitation reforms.
He reiterated TMA’s ongoing support in strengthening institutional systems, promoting inclusive trade, and improving logistics and border processes. He also commended the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry (MOTAI) and other partners for their commitment throughout the year.

A major issue raised during the meeting was the enforcement of axle load regulations. Participants stressed the importance of verifying axle loads at the ports before trucks move onto major road corridors to protect national infrastructure and ensure regulatory compliance. The meeting also acknowledged the persistent challenges in intra-West African trade compared to trade outside the continent, emphasizing the need for harmonization, stronger inter-agency coordination, and more efficient border operations.

The Ministry was urged to continue directing issues to the appropriate institutions, with a collective reminder that all agencies must fulfill their responsibilities promptly to improve regulation and service delivery.
Participants agreed on shared responsibility, transparency, and sustained commitment to achieving national trade facilitation goals.
It was announced that the Ministry will host the NTFC Secretariat to support seamless operations and coordination, pending logistical approval from the World Bank.

Additionally, discussions focused on Customs operations, highlighting the need for improved efficiency and adherence to standard operating procedures (SOPs) to eliminate unnecessary charges that burden shippers.
The Stakeholders again encouraged stronger collaboration among border agencies to facilitate smoother trade flows and reduce delays at Ghana’s entry and exit points.

The meeting also showcased gender-inclusion achievements under the AfCFTA framework, noting the sensitization of 2,800 women-led, youth-led, and disability-led businesses under the SME initiative an effort aimed at promoting inclusive participation in cross-border trade.

ICUMS representative Mr Raymond Amaglo, provided updates on system improvements, assuring stakeholders that recent challenges were being addressed and full stabilization was expected by the end of the week.

Ghana received commendation from the World Trade Organization (WTO) for its innovation and consistent progress in implementing trade facilitation measures positioning the country ahead of many peers in TFA implementation.