Ghana and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have agreed to strengthen bilateral trade and economic cooperation, including plans to establish chambers of commerce in both countries and revise a cooperation agreement signed in 2014.
The commitments emerged during talks in Accra on October 26 between Ghana’s Minister of Trade, Industry and Agribusiness, Elisabeth Ofosu-Adjare, and her Congolese counterpart, Julien Paluku Kahongya, according to the DRC’s Ministry of Foreign Trade.
The meeting, held on the sidelines of the signing ceremony of the Accra Convention on Negotiable Bills of Lading, focused on expanding commercial exchanges and creating new opportunities for economic operators in both countries.
Under the proposed arrangements, Ghana and the DRC will establish bilateral chambers of commerce in Accra and Kinshasa to facilitate business partnerships, promote trade and strengthen links between their private sectors.
The two countries also agreed to provide mutual diplomatic support for their respective candidacies to international institutions, the Congolese ministry said.
AfCFTA and cross-border payments
The discussions also highlighted the importance of regional economic integration, particularly through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Paluku welcomed the DRC’s accession to the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), a platform headquartered in Accra that facilitates cross-border payments in African currencies and aims to reduce reliance on foreign currencies in intra-African trade.
The system is expected to support the implementation of the AfCFTA by making cross-border transactions easier and more efficient for businesses operating across the continent.
The Congolese minister was accompanied by a delegation of experts from the ministries of foreign affairs, transport, infrastructure, finance and other relevant technical departments.
The renewed engagement between Accra and Kinshasa reflects broader efforts to strengthen economic ties between West and Central Africa and expand intra-African trade.
However, translating the agreements into tangible commercial gains will depend on their implementation, particularly the establishment of the proposed business institutions and the effective expansion of trade and investment opportunities between the two countries.
