Business News of Friday, 30 January 2026Source: GNALouis Yaw Afful, an International Trade Consultant, has expressed concern that the rapid expansion of digital and e‑commerce trade in Ghana poses a growing threat to the country’s manufacturing sector and Africa’s export competitiveness under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). He cautioned that a weakened local manufacturing base would undermine Ghana’s capacity to export competitively under AfCFTA and could destabilise foreign exchange earnings. Afful therefore called for stronger import‑substitution measures, effective enforcement of digital taxation, and deliberate support for domestic producers to safeguard Ghana’s industrial foundation. Touching on Ghana’s current performance under the AfCFTA, he noted that the country is importing more goods within the trade area than it exports—an imbalance that raises concerns about Ghana’s trade position in the bloc. “If you look at the AfCFTA import and export data, we have been at the receiving end… others are exporting more to Ghana.

Source: GhanaWeb January 30, 2026 15:37 UTC