Ghana and Mali are reported to boost mutual petroleum trade, as Ghana's National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has taken steps to encourage the fuel trade and investment between the two countries.
As media state, the NPA is pursuing the goal of increasing fuel supplies to the Sahel region by continuously engaging the Malian authorities and importers.
In this regard, the NPA delegation headed by Deputy Chief Executive Linda Asante recently paid Mali a four-day working visit.
According to Asante, the visit was part of NPA's plans to enhance economic relations between Ghana and and Mali, and other countries in the sub-Saharan region particularly regarding thed fuel trade.
"It [the visit] was also to discuss trade facilitation issues and the signing of a trade cooperation agreement between Ghana and Mali," the official stated.
She also said that another key activity of the delegation was to stimulate cooperation between the NPA and its partners in suppressing illegal activities related to the fuel trade, in order to ensure the protection of tax revenues of both nations, as well as the Ghana-Mali corridor, to protect economic interests.
According to reports, the delegation held meetings with core stakeholders including the regulators, the Malian Petroleum Producers Authority (OMAP), the Malian Customs and the Directorate in charge of trade – Direction Generale Commerce de la Consommation et de la Concurrence (DGCCC), as well as the General Commercial Coordination Authority (DGCC) and oil importing operators from Mali.
Today, many African countries are developing energy infrastructure by working on fuel facilities projects. For example, in September last year Nigeria and Morocco agreed on the development of the gas pipeline, which is to connect two nations and will, moreover, to supply West Africa and Europe.