Extraordinary Meeting of ECOWAS in Dakar ends ECOWAS Heads of State and Government approved the Common External Tariff (CET) to take effect January 1 2015. In the interim, the Summit endorsed the Supplementary Protection Measures (SPM) which consist of the Import Adjustment Tax (IAT) and the Supplementary Protection Tax (SPT) to allow for the progressive transition to the CET. The States agreed to move towards the Community Integration Levy (CIL) of a single rate of 1.5% in 5 years. Negotiations on Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) which allows 80% of European goods onto ECOWAS region and 100% access of ECOWAS goods into European markets is still in progress with still some countries, like Ghana, still debating the EPA. The EU demands that countries that have initialled the EPA must finalize it within two years or face the consequences. This EU demand is coming amidst renewed calls in Ghana for the government to call EUs bluff. Senegals Macky Sall did not make any public pronouncement regarding his countrys final stance on the EPA. Given the deteriorating relations between the EU and The Gambia, Jammeh decided to send his Vice President instead of attending in person. Gambias position on all of the issues discussed is therefore unclear at this time. Mrs. Njie-Saidy will report to Jammeh who will then decide Gambias official stance, especially as it regards the EPA. Sidi Sanneh
Posted on: Sat, 26 Oct 2013 16:36:28 +0000
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