Bribery, delays and harassment, impediment to smooth trade

Bolgatanga, Nov. 14, GNA- Bribery, delays and harassment of drivers and passengers at check points in the ECOWAS sub region were blighting regional trade, two pro-poor trade groups have said.

According The Social Support Foundation (SSF) and Community Development and Advocacy Centre (CODAC), despite the fact that the ECOWAS protocol calls for free movement of persons and goods in the sub region, in practice, customs and other officials seem to implement their own protocols through extortion and intimidation.

The Programme Director of CODAC, Mr. Bukari Issahaku disclosed this in a programme jointly organized by the two NGOs for media personnel in Bolgatanga at the Weekend on the role of the Media in fighting road corruption in Ghana and the ECOWAS sub Region.

He underscored the need for effective and sustainable realization of free movement of persons and goods within the ECOWAS region. It was the responsibility of officials at the various check points; police, customs, immigration, forestry, drivers and passengers and other road users and leadership of the individual countries to take firm and concrete measures to reform and transform road regulations and the modus operandi of the officials at the check points.

Mr. Issahaku said according to a survey conducted by the West Africa Trade Hub on the major corridors in the ECOWAS region during the first quarter of the year 2009, the main corridor in Ghana, Tema -Paga had 1.9 check points per every 100km, 19 minutes delay for the same distance and about seven Ghana Cedis of bribe paid for every 100km to agents at the check points.

The Survey also revealed that within Mali, the figures recorded were 4.69 check points, 32 minutes of delay and 13 Ghana Cedis of bribe. The corridor linking Lome to Ouagadougou and within Togo specifically, the figures were 2.08 check points per 100km, 5.4 minutes of delay for every 100km and six Ghana Cedis bribe payment.

That of Burkina Faso and on the Ouagadougou-Bamako corridor, the figures came to 2.37check points per 100km, 15.05minutes of delay time and 13 Ghana Cedis bribe payment both for every 100km.

The Programme Director of CODAC said the report compared with that of the last quarter of 2008 indicated that the figures for bribery had gone down in all the countries except in Togo whilst the other variables still remained unacceptably high even though there were a bit improvement over the previous quarter.

Mr. Issahaku stated that there was no doubt that the various ECOWAS countries lose high revenue and while state officials lined his pockets with unaccounted monies collected from drivers who also pay unofficial monies to facilitate their movement.

It was against this background that as Civil Society Organizations, his outfit and SSF had stated embarking on a project dubbed, "Accelerating Economic Development through Improved Road Transport Governance", sponsored by West African Trade Hub aimed at supporting the campaign to free the West African transport corridors from excessive barriers, corruption and delays. He said the project was courting the media to gather and disseminate research findings on road corruption through media advocacy and awareness creation on road corruption stressing on the economic and legal implications in a bid to reduce corruption on the Tema - Ouagadougou corridor. He urged the media to monitor the activities of officials in charge of the check points and to expose those who were involved in bribery, delay and harassment of drivers and passengers.

It would advocate and dialogue with identified duty bearers, Customs, Police and Immigration Officers, Parliament, Ministries Departments & Agencies for the reduction of delays and corruption on the Tema-Ouagadougou major road corridor and contribute to the promotion of good road governance in Ghana, he said