Why individuals and businesses must obtain a free AfCFTA number

The Government of Ghana, through the Ministries of Communications and Digitalisation, and Trade and Industries, officially launched the AfCFTA Hub earlier today.

The purpose of the AfCFTA Hub is to ensure that, in our quest to export our ICT goods and services across Africa and beyond, Ghanaian businesses have a trusted profile outside of Ghana, as well as to strengthen the industry and regulators to combat fraudsters who will also want to use AfCFTA to regionalize their nefarious activities.

We are announcing directives to accelerate the adoption of the AfCFTA Number and AfCFTA Common Transaction ID frameworks in Ghana for these and other reasons.

Beginning immediately, all individuals and businesses engaged in the courier, postal, delivery, logistics, ride-sharing, e-commerce, digital trading, or any other business of that nature must obtain a free AfCFTA Number at www.afcfta.app, the AfCFTA Hub Gateway.

We expect online service providers such as Uber, Glovo, Bolt, Jumia, Tonaton, Yango, Amazon, and others to ensure that all businesses registered on their platforms secure their AfCFTA Number and begin integrating their transaction processing systems with the AfCFTA Hub as soon as possible.

If done correctly, all customers of such businesses and services will be able to verify and validate their regulatory and compliance status, increasing trust in the marketplace, increasing uptake of digital services, suppressing fraud, and increasing the efficiency of doing business in Ghana and elsewhere.

The writer Ursula Owusu-Ekuful  is the Minister of Communication and Digitalisation