ECOWAS trade task force meets Ellen

A seven man task force of ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme or ETLShas met with President Ellen Johnson – Sirleaf who doubles aschairperson for the sub – regional bloc.

The team led by Niger’s former Head of State Mr. SalouDjibo toldPresident Sirleaf at her temporary office at the Ministry of ForeignAffairs in Monrovia that after arriving here on Sunday, 4 December,they have since met with Liberian authorities including members of theLegislature.

They met with Minister of Finance and Development Planning, LiberiaNational Police, the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization, theChambers of Commerce and the Liberia Revenue Authority, among others.

President Sirleaf thanked the team for coming, saying she wanted tohear their findings and recommendations to know what government can dofor implementation. The ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme supports free trade amongmember states of the West Africa region while seeking to abolishcustoms duties levying on imports and exports among ECOWAS States.

The Head of the Visiting Mission Task Force of ECOWAS TradeLiberalization Scheme Mr. SalouDjibo told President Sirleaf that thetask force has a mandate to strengthen regulation among member states. He said there is a board to coordinate between governments and theprivate sector to regulate actions that must be taken in the privatesector.

ECOWAS Ambassador to Liberia Mr. TundeAjisomo had expressed happinessthat ECOWAS Heads of States in had taken a bold step to encourage theenforcement of the free trade policy.

He said the visiting mission task force of ETLS was tasked to workunder a four – year period to [increase] free trade environment amongmember states by 10 percent each year.