ECOWAS ABOLISHES IDENTITY CARD FOR CITIZENS

President, Economic Community of West African States ECOWAS, Mr. Kadre Desire Ouedraogo has said that the Commission had abolished resident permit and bio metric identity card for the citizens of the region.
Speaking yesterday in Abuja at the 37th meeting of the technical committee of West African Monetary Zone, WAMZ, he further disclosed that Heads of state and government of ECOWAS had directed ministers in charge of security at various states to review all the security implications of the measures preparatory to the signing of the supplementary Acts on the issues.
Represented by Acting Director of multilateral surveillance of the commission, Dr. Nelson O. Magbagboeola, the ECOWAS boss urged member states to ensure gradual removal of trade barriers in the region by reducing the number of checkpoints along the international transit corridors.
According to Ouedraogo, “ECOWAS commission is committed to the integration, inclusive growth and development of the region adding that the body would continue to work with all stakeholders including WAMI and WAMZ member countries with a view to ensuring that the standard of living of the community citizens improves on a continuous and sustainable basis”.
On monetary integration, he said the authority endorsed the recommendations relating to review of the macroeconomic convergence criteria, rationalization of the institutions and revision of the roadmap on the ECOWAS single currency programme.
Ouedraogo listed the three primary criteria as budget deficit (including grants and on commitment basis/GDP is three percent; average annual inflation 10percent with a long-term goal of five percent by 2019; and gross reserves of three months of imports.
The three secondary convergence criteria adopted by the authority are: public debt/GDP 70percent, central bank financing of budget deficit at 10 percent of previous year’s tax revenue and nominal exchange rate variation of 10 percent.
Also speaking at the event, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Deputy Governor economic policy Dr. Serah Alade disclosed that the continuous shift in deadline for single currency to various challenges confronting each state.
She said “We all have challenges and you know that it hasn’t been very easy. Countries have been going through difficult times and that is why it hasn’t been possible to meet the convergence criteria from year to year. This year, you have one country meeting its fourth and in meeting all the four primary criteria in another year that same country met only three. And we had insisted that country meet all the criteria consistently from year to year”.
Source: Nigerian Pilot