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The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Regional Competition Authority (ERCA) in collaboration with the National Competition Authority of Cabo Verde (AdC) has organised a joint advocacy and sensitisation workshop on the ECOWAS Regional Competition Framework and the mandate of ERCA as well as the national competition regime on 4 April 2023 in Praia, Republic of Cabo Verde.

The objective of the workshop was to create awareness on the mandate and operations of the ECOWAS Re-gional Competition Framework towards engendering ownership as well as strengthening col-laboration with key stakeholders.

In his opening remarks, Dr Simeon Konan Koffi, Executive Director of ERCA, stated that the awareness-raising meeting was organised in an international, continental, and regional back-drop, especially in relation to trade and commerce, which is constantly changing and faced with new issues and challenges.

He further underscored the fact that with the current political and economic uncertainty that the whole world is experiencing, particularly in our region, the dynamism of regional trade is more relevant than ever, and the strengthening of free competi-tion is a sine-qua-non for achieving the objective of regional integration agenda.

The Chairman of the Competition Authority of Cabo Verde, Eng. Emanuel Barbosa, in his own remarks, expressed the willingness of the AdC to work in harmony with ERCA in support of the competition.

This he stated, is demonstrated by the recent establishment and inauguration of the Board of Directors of the Cabo Verde Competition Authority.

Several presentations were made during the two-day meeting on ERCA’s mission and its framework for collaboration with the AdC, ERCA’s mandate and its implications for businesses and trade in the ECOWAS, Competition Policy in relation to the AFCFTA, Competition and Con-sumer Protection Regime in Cabo Verde and Cross Border trade issues with trading partners within the ECOWAS region.

Participants at the workshop include officials of the Competition Authority of Cabo Verde, the civil society organisations, government officials, Consumer Protection Associations, civil society actors, private sector operators, and the media.

ABUJA BUSINESS REPORTS NEWSPAPER & MAGAZINE