Sara Engleka (right), Ziad Hamoui (left) interacting with Abraham Ocloo, Head of research and development at the Ghana Shippers Authourity after the opening of the two day forum yesterday.
The excessive delays that characterize the importation of goods into Ghana from neighbouring countries have dwindled by more than 50 per cent at the Aflao Border.
Sara Engleka, Director of USAID West Africa Trade Hub, who made this known, was speaking at the opening of the maiden forum on border information centers.
She said a study conducted by her outfit recently revealed a drop in delay at Ghana’s border.
Ms Engleka also pointed out that Niger has also eliminated seven checkpoints on its national highway, adding “at Krake, we have seen stakeholders bravely eliminate seven unauthorized checkpoints.”
She commended Ghana for addressing delays at its border posts and facilitating regional trade with its neighbours.
According to her, delays at border posts which have been noted as one of the main impediments to regional trade, has for many years been the concern of stakeholders.
The forum, themed: “Consolidation and Sustainability,” is being organized by the Borderless Alliance in collaboration with the Ghana Shippers Authority for West African trade and transport operators and policy makers to address border crossing issues, which constitute obstacles to trade and integration in the West African sub-region.
The forum, which opened yesterday in Accra, is expected to end today.
The border information center is a platform for exchange between all stakeholders of cross-border trade and is designed to provide all the necessary information to those crossing the border and to help importers and exporters reduce the cost and delays associated with import, export and transit transactions.
The first border information center was opened in August 2011 at the Ghana–Togo border with support from the USAID West Africa Trade hub and the Ghana Shippers Authority and has since led to the launch of centers at the Benin-Nigeria, Burkina Faso–Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire –Ghana and at the port of Darkar in Senegal.
Dominic Azuma, representing the speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, stated that there have been reports of citizens being subjected to administrative harassment, payment of illegal fees, “which officials reportedly perpetrate under the guise of security concerns.”
There is a move to introduce a uniform ECOWAS travel document and the establishment of joint border posts, as well as the drastic reduction of checkpoints at the inter-state routs as part of efforts to eliminate obstacles to integration within the region, he said.
Ziad Hamoui, President of the Borderless Alliance, in a welcome address, noted that the information centers were set up as a result of challenges faced by stakeholders to remove the barriers to regional trade and transport in West Africa.
“It is clear that these border information centers have contributed to a dramatic improvement in the border crossing time.”
Dr Kofi Mbiah, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Shippers Authority, in a speech read on his behalf, pledged the support of the authority to collaborate with all stakeholders to facilitate trade across the sub-region.
He mentioned that the Ghana Shippers’ Authority regulations L.I. 2190 (2012), which is expected to be implemented soon, would address all illegitimate charges in the industry and enable shippers access competitive standard shipping services.
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