Too many police, customs checkpoints – Ghana Shippers Authority

The Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Shippers Authority, Ms Benonita Bismarck, has expressed concern over rising police and customs checkpoints and corruption, which increase cost of doing business in the West African sub-region.

A recent survey along Ghana’s northbound corridor showed a drastic rise of about 40 police and customs check points with a minimum delay of 20 minutes coupled with illegal payments of at least GH¢400.00 per trip from Tema to the Paga border.

Ms Bismarck confirmed the survey outcome at a stakeholders’ forum on Tuesday saying “this is a cause for concern and requires our collective efforts to curb this major challenge”.

“The overall effect of inefficient road governance is increased transit time along our corridor, an increase in the cost of transiting goods for shippers and the loss of revenue to major players,” she said and added, “which ultimately translates into a loss of needed revenue to the country.”

The forum was organised by Ghana Shippers Authority and Borderless Alliance, an advocacy group, to explore the theme: “Opportunities and challenges of unlocking the ECOWAS market.”

The stakeholders deliberated over best ways to overcome challenges and harnessing the plethora of opportunities in the ECOWAS market and re-echoed the need to remove bottlenecks to trade along the corridors in order to facilitate movement of goods, services and people.

Mrs Bismarck said it was imperative to pay attention to such barriers in such a way that it did not reduce the competitiveness of shippers and the long term economic prospects of Ghana and the West African Sub-region.

She said there had been a number of engagements with the police administration and customs to seek a way forward.

“The Ghana Shippers Authority recently engaged with the Inspector General of Police to discuss removing the police check points along the transit corridor,” she said.

“He has given us assurance that he will work with his team to ensure that this directive was carried through.”

Vice President Alhaji Dr Mahamadu Bawumia recently announced the removal of all customs barriers along the transit corridor, effective September 1, 2017.

Mr Ziad Hamoul, National President of Borderless Alliance, the Ghana Revenue Authority has agreed to the removal of the 200 dollar transit fee that was imposed on each consignment transiting through Ghana.

The transit fee was chargeable only on goods entered in transit through the land borders at Aflao, Elubo, Paga among others.

He also said the directive by Vice President Bawumiah for the removal of barriers and checkpoints along the corridors was heart-warming and would reposition Ghana as the logistics gateway to Africa.

Source: GNA