By Bakary Touray Jnr.
The Gambia’s Minister of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment (MoTIE) Mr. Lamin Jobe, has challenged the ECOWAS Parliament to put in place strong strategic pillars, to promote good governance, as well as improve on the mechanism for conflict prevention, peacekeeping and security.
Jobe made the clarion call while presiding over the ECOWAS Parliament Seminar currently underway at Coral Beach Hotel (former Sheraton) in Brufut.
The parliament, he submitted, should also be supportive to their efforts to creating a productive and competitive economic environment that enhance the sub-region’s economic integration into global market, particularly in the waves of their newly established African Continental Free Trade Area.
The Regional Integration Minister emphasized to the seminar participants that strong institutions are essential in addressing some of the challenges facing the sub-region, such as irregular migration, organized crimes, terrorism and climate change. The cited problems are also impacting negatively on human and food security the sub-region, as he said.
While congratulating the ECOWAS Parliament for the implementation of some of the provisions of Article 7 relating to the powers of the parliament, the Gambian Minister also tasked the sub-regional Parliamentarians to expedite the implementation of Articles 9 and 12 of the Supplementary Act on Mandatory Referral, as well to initiate Model Law to develop Guidelines outlining the methodology and process of the implementation of some of the new provisions.
He underscored the need to strengthen and empower institutions, in order to fight against cross border crimes and corruption, so as to strengthen their commitment to effective implementation of their agreed Trade Agreements and Protocols.
“I am optimistic that with the oversight functions of the parliament, we will overcome these challenges and greater enforcement of ECOWAS regional instruments, especially the Free Movement of Goods and People, to accelerate the economic and social development of our people,” Minister Jobe his multi-national audience.
The implementation of trade protocols such as the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS) and the Common External Tariff, are paving ways to the attainment of our Custom Union, with the objective of creating a single community market,” noted the Trade Minister.
