The commissioner for commerce Mrs RoseMary Archibong says Cross River State holds greater comparative advantage in access by land, air and water of doing business at ease.
Mrs Archibong stated this when the leadership of the Calabar Chambers of Commerce paid her a courtesy call in her office in calabar.
According to her, with ongoing construction of the cargo and passenger Airport in Obudu, the deep seaport in Bakassi and the 275km super highway and its auxiliary roads and the complementary calabar port, the state is well positioned to take advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement to access the North, Central, West Africa and Europe.
The Commissioner, while advocating for robust effective collaboration with the Calabar Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture to harness the various opportunities created by the Governor Ben Ayade’s agro industrial development, praised the chambers for its proactiveness and support to government in the realization of an economic hub for business.
She said time has come for those in marketing, advocacy and actual production to join hands with government to market the state, adding that the passion of the administration to bequest the state with an enduring economic status through her industrial development will make the people better of, and open the state maritime corridor to the outside world.
She said the partnership was critical in a quest for economic growth and assured that her ministry will continue to collaborate with stakeholds to drive the economy as government continues to provide enabling environment for business to thrive.
On his part, the commissioner for industry, Mr Peter Egba, said the state was ready to partner with the Chambers to broaden the economic horizon of the state, and make business in the state more profitable.
The President of CALCIMA, Elder Eta Ndoma-egba, while commending the various economic growth of the Ayade’s administration, believes that her appointment as commissioner for Commerce, given her wealth of experience will bring a turn around in the business sector.
He called for support of the micro and medium scale business development in the state as well as port advocacy and market effort, thereby assuring the ministry of the Chamber’s partnership to sensitive the populace on the economic policy of ACFTA scheduled to start later this year.
In his presentation the Executive secretary CALCIMA, kenneth Itah, said the state would sustained the growth tragetry projection of the National Bureau of Statistic indicating the state GDP of 963 billion in 2014 to 2.3trillion in 2017.
He added that through the various comparative advantages that the state has, it will encourage many to invest in the state.