Accra, Nov. 30, GNA - The Ghana Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GNCCI), will host the first ever workshop of the Federation of West Afri= can Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FWACCI) in Accra from December 8 to 10= , 2009. The three-day workshop will bring together all the 15-member ECOWAS=

Chamber of Commerce to create awareness among members on the various trad= e related protocols of ECOWAS to facilitate cross-border trade. A statement issued by GNCCI, the umbrella organisation of commerce and industry in the country, in Accra said participants at the workshop would=

include two representatives from each member associations, civil society groups, media, government representatives, ECOWAS Commission, Ministers o= f Trade and Industry, Finance and Economic Planning, Business Leaders and Captains of Industry from West Africa and the European Union. It said the workshop would provide an opportunity for the private sector to dialogue with various government institutions on challenges in doing business in Africa and broaden the knowledge of participants about the provisions of ECOWAS trade-related protocols. The statement said economies of individual countries within ECOWAS were too small and uncompetitive, therefore the need to forge a big tradi= ng bloc. Establishment of FWACCI would serve as the vehicle to promote the integration agenda and facilitate investment and trade from within and outside the sub-region. The statement said the workshop was within the framework of FWACCI'= s objective to promote intra-ECOWAS trade as an integrating element and to enhance the profitability of companies. It will in addition, foster ECOWAS-EU trade within the framework of=

the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). The statement said FWACCI was revived last year with Mr Wilson Atta=

Krofah, President of GNCCI and Vice President of Pan African Chamber of Commerce and Industry as its President.