Clear vehicles at borders within two hours – Minister
Mr Haruna Iddrisu, Minister of Trade and Industry, on Thursday directed that vehicle clearance processes at Ghana’s borders must not last more than two hours.
The directive, which was effective on Friday, February 22, was given to Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, Ghana Immigration Service as well as Ghana Community Network Services Limited.
Mr Iddrisu was speaking at the Second Annual Conference of the Borderless Alliance organised by Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA) in Accra.
The two-day Conference aims at bringing together public and private sector stakeholders to deliberate on strategies that would create an efficient and conducive business environment for effective cross-border trade within the West African Sub-Region.
Mr Iddrisu said Government was committed towards reducing the number of import security checkpoints “under the guise of National Security” in the near future.
He expressed dissatisfaction that major routes within the sub-region were noted for “informal gifts” giving and taking, adding that the illegal practice was a bane to free movement of goods, trade and services.
He alluded to President John Dramani Mahama’s State of the Nation Address and said that the President had directed the Ministries of Transport and Finance and Economic Planning to undertake an investigation into unauthorised fees and charges at the ports.
Speaking to journalists at the end of the first session of the Conference, Dr Kofi Mbiah, Chief Executive Officer of the GSA, expressed satisfaction about the ultimatum given to the relevant agencies to ensure that vehicles were processed within two days.
On the issue of reduction in the number of checkpoints, he observed that the previous 23 barriers that existed between Tema and Paga had reduced to four.
Dr Mbiah stressed that ideally there should be only two import barriers.
He called for education for the truckers to enable them comply with the requirements at the checkpoints to reduce the inordinate amount of time they spent there.
Dr Mbiah noted that traders and shippers could take full advantage of the Border Information Centres and Shipper Complaints and Support Units to acquire the relevant information to enhance their transactions and businesses.
He called for installation of good lighting system, lavatories and other facilities to enable the land port to operate for 24 hours.
Earlier, Mr Ziad Hamoui, President of the Borderless Alliance, said the body was initiated in March 2010, and aims at providing the private sector with a common, credible platform to voice its local authorities and regional governments in order to solve urgent issues of regional barriers to trade and transport.
“At the same time we want to promote the best practices of trade and transport among our members in order to earn the trust and co-operation of the regional government that we engage with,” he added.
Source: GNA