ECOWAS to abolish residence permit

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Heads of State have approved the abolition of the residence permit and the introduction of biometric identity card for community citizens.
It also adopted the ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET), which comes into force on 1^st January 2015; this is in order to promote trade exchange and investments within the region, which will constitute the pillars of the Single currency.

The commission will work diligently with other stakeholders to ensure its vision of an ECOWAS of people rather than an ECOWAS of States and a single economic space by year 2020.
This was revealed Thursday in Abuja, in a statement by the President, ECOWAS Commission, Kadre Desire Ouedraogo, at the 34^th meeting of the convergence Council of Ministers and Governors of Central Banks of the West African Monetary Zone.
Ouedraogo who was represented at the occasion by the ECOWAS Commissioner of Macro Economic policy and economic research, Dr Ibrahim Bocar BA, stated that the revision of the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s economic Account (GDP), placing the country ahead of South Africa is, also for the West African region another source of pride.
His words, “I am delighted to report that the ECOWAS Heads of States and Government have approved the abolition of the residence permit and introduction of the biometric Identity Card for the Community citizens.
“The authority subsequently requested the Ministers in charge of security to review all the security implications of the measure prior to the signing of the Supplementary Acts on the issues. Member states are urged to continue to ensure that the non-tariff barriers (NTBs) are reduced to the barest minimum by reducing the checkpoints along the international transit corridors.
“ECOWAS Commission, as a key stakeholder, will work diligently with all other stakeholders to ensure that the vision of an ECOWAS of people rather than an ECOWAS of States and a single economic space is realized by year 2020.
“In this regard, the Commission endeavours that all other integration programmes under its watch are effectively implemented. The other road maps adopted by the Heads of States relating to the ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET), which comes into force on 1^st January 2015, free movement of persons and ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS) are being followed carefully to ensure that the community is fully integrated.”
He also stated, “It is clear that the intended aim is not to rush to create a currency without a solid economic foundation.
“The aim is not only to draw lessons from successive postponements of missed deadlines in 2003, 2005, 2009 and probably 2015 for the West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ) but also to take into consideration the factors behind the Euro crisis, that is to say, the fiscal and budgetary problems.
“At the 42th session of the Conference of Heads of States and Government in July 2013, the ECOWAS Commission’s President was mandated to accelerate the macroeconomic convergence process for the deadline of 2015 for the WAMZ and 2020 for both monetary zones be met.
“The extraordinary Summit of 25 October 2013 gave a new impetus to the programme of Common Currency whose supervision was entrusted to the President of Ghana and Niger.”