Kenyan High Commissioner urges promotion of intra-African trade to boost job creation …as Kenyan tea enters Ghanaian market
The Kenyan High Commissioner in Accra, Mr Eliphas Mugendi Barine, has urged Africans to promote intra- Africa trade activities to boost job creation within the region.
He said to collectively contribute to the prosperity of the continent, Ghanaians like all people of Africa, must buy made in Africa goods to create jobs, incomes and retain wealth in Africa.
Mr Barine made the appeal at the launch of the Kenya Value Added Tea dubbed “Ketepa’’ into the Ghana market in Accra yesterday.
The Ketepa tea which was imported into Ghana from Kenya, the biggest exporter of tea, by a tea merchant, Mr Michael Nartey.
Ketepa has 15 varieties of flavours including lemon, ginger, caramel, mint, and mango.
The High Commissioner stated said the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) was signed in 2018 and came into force on January 1, 2021 paving way for enhanced intra-African trade.
Mr Barine said for the collective development and prosperity of the continent, Kenya had taken the lead in expanding trade in Africa under AfCFTA.
He stressed the need to collectively support Africa and purchase made-in- Africa goods to build the continent in order to make the continent prosper.
A Minister of State at the Office of the President, Mrs Catherine Afeku, in her address encouraged the youth to enter into entrepreneurship to promote the economy.
She said the whole essence of the single market under AfCFTA was to allow products from other African countries to be transported to the other without any hindrance.
“We are not just promoting Kenyan products but we are also encouraging potential entrepreneurs here to find value addition Ghanaian products to also send it the available market,” she said.
Mrs Afeku stressed on the need for African countries to trade among themselves and add value to products produced within the region.
She commended Mr Michael Nartey for bringing Kenyan tea into the country stating that it would help promote trading activities within the African Sub-region.
“We are happy and it is no wonder that Kenyan tea has entered into our market and we are hopeful that Ghana chocolate would also follow suit immediately,” she said.
In attendance at the programme were Ms Rosemary Owino, a representative of the Tea Board Kenya; Mr John Mithamo Wasusana, Kenya Tea Development Agency; Mr John Ngatia, acting Managing Director of Ketepa, and traditional rulers.
BY ANITA NYARKO-YIRENKYI
