The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Policy Network (APN) has called on Ghana’s newly elected government to urgently expedite the passage of the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) bill currently before Parliament.
The organization, which advocates for AfCFTA-related policies, believes that the bill, once enacted, will be a crucial driver of industrial transformation, export growth, and job creation, especially for the country’s youthful population.
The APN, a prominent non-governmental network dedicated to trade and AfCFTA advocacy, stressed that the SEZs bill is an essential tool for driving the growth of the private sector. It would facilitate regulatory reform, stimulate innovation, and provide a more supportive environment for businesses. The bill’s provisions include ensuring that local small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), workers, and surrounding communities benefit from SEZs, providing adequate resources to private-sector developers, and fostering compliance and transparent operations within these zones.
Louis Yaw Afful, Executive Director of the APN Group, highlighted that the broad objectives of the bill are critical for ensuring that the private sector has the resources to competitively participate in AfCFTA. He pointed out that creating a streamlined regulatory environment—supported by a one-stop shop for businesses—would increase efficiency and encourage local SMEs to engage with the economic opportunities presented by the SEZs.
Afful emphasized that the SEZs Act is a key complement to Ghana’s AfCFTA Policy Strategy, which aims to integrate the country’s economy into the broader African trading bloc. He stressed that the strategy, which focuses on trade facilitation and infrastructure development, needs the backing of the SEZs Act to reach its full potential. “The Circular Economy’s rapid growth in Ghana will thrive more when the Special Economic Zones bill is fast-tracked into law – as implemented in South Africa, Morocco, Kenya, and many others,” Afful remarked.
The APN also pointed to the enormous potential of AfCFTA to contribute to Ghana’s economic development, with the World Bank estimating that AfCFTA services could account for 50 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Afful argued that by sustaining cross-border trade, Ghana could unlock significant job opportunities, especially as youth unemployment continues to be a pressing issue. According to the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), the number of unemployed youths aged 15 to 35 increased from 1.2 million to over 1.3 million in 2024, with the rate of unemployment among women consistently higher than that of men.
Passing the SEZs bill, Afful said, would provide a critical boost to the business ecosystem, enabling more SMEs to scale up, increase exports to AfCFTA markets, and create sustainable jobs for the youth. He also pointed out that Ghana’s agrarian economy presents vast opportunities for growth within the AfCFTA framework, especially with more than 50 percent of the AfCFTA Rules of Origin pointing to agribusiness. To unlock this potential, he stressed the importance of creating an enabling environment for SMEs, particularly through innovative regulatory frameworks that promote industrialization and manufacturing.
While Ghana already has a Free Zones regime under the Ghana Free Zones Authority (GFZA), Afful noted that introducing Special Economic Zones would offer larger economies of scale, enhance export development, and foster job creation. The SEZs model, he argued, could serve as a game-changer for sectors like women-led businesses, youth entrepreneurship, digital commerce, and fintech—sectors that are already playing a significant role in driving AfCFTA trade.
Finally, Afful emphasized that the government’s ongoing initiatives, such as the One District One Factory project and the promotion of a 24-hour economy, could be catalytic in sustaining AfCFTA and creating jobs. These programs, coupled with the passage of the SEZs bill, would provide the necessary momentum for Ghana to fully capitalize on the opportunities offered by the African Continental Free Trade Area.