Ghana in Search of Regional Integration Agenda 196 The WAIBL project provides match-making services between West African and North American businesses. The project also facilitates the financing of business opportunities by connecting West African businesses to commercial banks and relevant U.S. Government entities such as the Export-Import Bank. The WAIBL project began in 1998 and has supported over$145 million of transactions to date in the agriculture, shea butter, textile, infrastructure, information technology, jewellery and finance sectors. The West African Trade Hub opened in 2003 covering 20 countries in the region. The objective of WATH, headquartered in Accra, Ghana, is to encourage West African businesses to take advantage of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act(AGOA), 246 and to develop capacity for better engagement in the multilateral trading system as embodied by the World Trade Organisation. The Hub also provides assistance to regional inter-governmental organisations and national ministries on a variety of trade-related issues. The ECOTRADE project assists the ECOWAS complete its Common External Tariff (CET). A Common External Tariff, as we have already described, implies that all goods entering into the customs territory of any ECOWAS country will be assessed at the same rate of customs duty thereby facilitating closer economic integration and increased trade. The ECOGEE project supports West African women's efforts to overcome barriers to business development and regional trade. Established in September 2002, ECOGEE is a partnership among programs such as the West African International Business Linkages program(WAIBL) and the West African Businesswomen's Network (WABNET). WABNET is a network of businesswomen who collaborate to promote regional trade and the growth of their enterprises that was created in 2001 at an USAID/WARP-sponsored workshop. WARP supports WABNET through organisational development assistance provided by the ECOGEE project. The MISTOWA project aims to increase regional agricultural trade and food security by improving and linking the existing regional efforts to generate, disseminate, and make commercial use of market information. It also seeks to help regional market information systems(MIS) and trade partners to address other constraints, so that strong and dynamic commodity chains emerge. These will use the information to enhance production, handling, credit, trade and value-added services such as processing, packaging, and quality control. Effective MIS and Trades' Organisations will also heighten farmer awareness of opportunities and technologies to increase 246 See the U.S Trade and Development Act of 2000 by which beneficiary countries(countries of Sub-Saharan Africa) receive preferential access to the U.S. market. Necessary conditions for accessing these benefits are that the country has established(or is making progress toward) a market-based economy, the rule of law and political pluralism, economic policies to reduce poverty, a system to combat corruption and bribery, protection of internationally recognized workers' rights, and elimination of barriers to trade and investment.