ECOWAS Parliament pushes removal of regional trade barriers to boost MSMEs

Members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament have pledged to push for the removal of trade barriers hindering the growth of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) across West Africa after traders and manufacturers decried persistent border bottlenecks, harassment and limited access to finance despite the bloc’s free movement protocols.

The commitment followed a two-day field visit and town hall meeting held on Wednesday and Thursday in Cotonou as part of the ongoing delocalised meeting of the Parliament’s Committees on Industry and Private Sector, Macroeconomic Policy and Economic Research, Administration, Finance and Budget, and Public Accounts.

During a visit to LES JUS TILLOU, a pineapple juice processing factory, the company’s owner, Madam Guedegbe Marcos, lamented that exporting products within the ECOWAS region has become more difficult than shipping to Europe and Canada.

She told the parliamentarians that bureaucratic bottlenecks, particularly in trade with Nigeria and Ghana, continue to undermine the objectives of regional economic integration.

According to her, the factory, established with a loan of nearly four billion CFA francs from the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), requires an additional one billion CFA francs to expand its production and improve packaging.

Despite growing demand for its products in both West African and international markets, she said regional trade restrictions have continued to limit the company’s growth.

Madam Marcos argued that the ECOWAS principle of the free movement of persons, goods and services remains largely theoretical for many businesses operating within the sub-region.

In response, members of the Parliament assured the entrepreneur that they would engage lawmakers across member states to address the policy and administrative obstacles affecting regional trade.

The lawmakers also toured the Glo-Djigbe Industrial Zone (GDIZ), a public-private partnership between the Government of Benin and ARISE Integrated Industrial Platforms (ARISE IIP), located about 45 kilometres from the Port of Cotonou.

The industrial hub hosts more than 40 manufacturing and processing industries, including cashew and soybean processing plants, integrated textile factories, ceramic tile production, electric motorcycle assembly and pharmaceutical manufacturing.

The delegation was informed that the GDIZ Textile Park operates as a vertically integrated facility, covering the entire value chain from spinning and weaving to garment production.

At a town hall meeting held at the popular KP3 market in Cotonou, traders from across the region highlighted the practical challenges confronting cross-border commerce.

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Representatives of women traders complained of harassment, extortion and corruption at border posts, saying such practices discourage legitimate business and increase the cost of regional trade.

They also called for easier access to credit, noting that women entrepreneurs often struggle to secure loans needed to expand their businesses.

The traders further urged ECOWAS member states to harmonise customs charges and simplify border procedures to encourage more businesses to transition from informal to formal trade.

After hearing the concerns, the parliamentarians pledged to deliberate on the issues and forward appropriate recommendations to relevant ECOWAS institutions and national authorities.

They stressed that thriving MSMEs remain essential to reducing poverty, creating jobs and tackling insecurity across West Africa, insisting that all policies and practices impeding regional trade should be urgently reviewed and abolished.