ECOWAS leaders urged to sensitises custom officials on Trade Policy

Accra, Dec. 22, GNA - The Ghana Export Promotion Council (GEPC) on Monday appealed to Authorities of Heads of State and Governments of ECOWAS to initiate educational and sensitisation programmes on the Trade Liberalization policy for border officials.

"The tenets of the Trade Liberalization - free movement of goods and services and other policies are hampered by border officials doted along entry points within the sub-regional," Mr Edward Collins Boateng, GEPC Chief Executive Secretary told the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Accra.

Mr Boateng noted the realization of the economic policies intended to accelerate West Africa sub-regional integrations had been dented by the intimidation, harassment and extortion of both traders and travelers throughout the region.

The GEPC' Executive Secretary whose appeals come at the heels of the 27th Ordinary Summit of Authority of Heads of State and Governments in Accra stressed the need to also sensitises the private sector and citizens on the Single Monetary Zone concept.

Countries forming the second West Africa Monetary Zone Ghana, The Gambia, Guinea, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.

Mr Boateng said the GEPC would initiate activities next year to educate and sensitises Customs Officials, Immigration Officers, Animal Health Inspectorate and other border post officials on the trade liberalization, NEPAD and principles of free movement of people, goods and services according to ECOWAS conventions.

Briefing the media earlier, the Mr Boateng and Mr Kwaku Adu-Mensah, GEPC General Manager called for the cooperation of the media to project the country's export potentials especially the non-traditional products. Giving statistics on non-traditional exports, Mr Boateng said the value of exports was 159.67 million dollars in 1995; 276.24 million dollars in 1996; 329.05 million dollars in 1997; 401.71 million dollars in 1998; and 404.41 million dollars in 1999.

He said the export industry suffered slight fall in 2000 to register 400.66 million dollars but rose again sharply to 459.66 million dollars in 2001 and 504.25 million dollars in 2002.

Mr Boateng said GEPC expects to hit 550 million dollars for the currently fiscal year a 10 per cent increment over last year and had projected 600 million dollars for next year 2004.

He said the GEPC had also adopted a strategic focus of market development, product development, trade related information services, trade related human resources development and cooperation of export development effort.