The implementation of a mammoth African free trade agreement will not begin on July 1 as planned due to disruptions caused by the coronavirus outbreak, a senior official said on Tuesday.
“It is obviously not possible to commence trade as we had intended on 1 July under the current circumstances,” Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area, said during a conference call.
Mene did not say whether there was a new targeted implementation date, and left the conference call before the question and answer session.
The 55-nation continental free-trade zone would, if successful, create a $3.4 trillion economic bloc with 1.3 billion people across Africa and constitute the largest new trading bloc since the World Trade Organization formed in 1994.
Mene said he was confident the deal would still go forward.
“The political commitment remains, the political will remain to integrate Africa’s market and to implement the agreement as was intended,” he said.
Mene said that as African governments do not have the firepower to launch the same type of economic stimulus packages that the United States and Europe are putting forward to mitigate the economic damage from the coronavirus pandemic, intra-African trade could serve the same purpose.
“That’s our stimulus package. That’s how we’re going to get back on track as Africa.”
Government has never abandoned health facilities started by previous government – Agyeman-Manu
The Minister of Health says the administration has never abandoned any health facilities started under the erstwhile government, led by John Mahama.
Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday, said the Akufo-Addo-led government has “taken time and resources to complete” projects bequeathed them.
“I myself have gone round to commission these projects,” the Dormaa Central MP told journalists at a news conference in Accra, Tuesday.
Listing a few of the said projects, Mr. Agyeman-Manu said 10 clinics in the Central Region which were started in 2016 under Mahama, were completed in 2018 under Akufo-Addo.
These include projects located in Gomoa, Ekumfi Narkwa, Benpong Agya among others.
Also, an upgrade of the Tamale Teaching Hospital which was ongoing before the administration took over in 2017 is completed, Agyeman-Manu said.
Other projects which are at various stages of completion,he said, are the University of Ghana Medical Centre and other projects at Konongo Odumase and Tepa are all near completion.
These notwithstanding, the Minority in Parliament has constantly accused the government of abandoning health projects started under the previous government.
abandoned health facilities
One of the said abandoned health facilities in the Ashanti region
Akufo-Addo promises new hospitals
The Health Minister’s account follow widespread criticism that met President Akufo-Addo’s promise to build 88 new District hospitals across the country and nine regional hospitals in the newly created regions.
The 88 new hospitals, Akufo-Addo said in his 8th televised address, should hopefully be completed within a year.
Critics say the president should focus on the uncompleted health facilities across the country before promising to rise new ones.
Others say it is a mere campaign gimmick while some economists cast doubt on the feasibility of the promise.
But responding to such claims, Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, speaking at the press conference, said the stability of the economy has helped the country to battle the Covid-19 outbreak so far.
The same strength, he says will afford the government the chance to meet the targets set by the president.
