GPHA trade mission delegation meets customs of Niger

The delegation proceeded to the Niger Customs where the Director of Customs, recalled a similar delegation in 2017, where disparities in relation to tariffs were discussed in order for Nigeriens to comfortably use Ghana’s ports.

He said Ghana can certainly be considered the natural destination for Nigerien shippers if all challenges in relation to tariffs are resolved.

He also lamented that there is no collaboration between the various corridors to facilitate the smooth flow of goods and services as well as information.

He appealed to GPHA and Customs to furnish his outfit with certified certificates of origin so they can authenticate all claims made by shippers.

Peter Mac-Manu, Board Chairman of GPHA, assured that the Authority is committed to strengthening the relationship with Niger so to great the best atmosphere for Economic Operators.

“Since it takes two to tango, it takes you and us to move the cooperation to the next level. We have pledged on our parts to look into and address the issues that you brought before us,” he stated.

At the Niger Chamber of Commerce, the Vice President of the Chamber, called for Ghana’s help in solving the problem of harassment when transiting goods through Burkina Faso.

The DG of GPHA, Michael Luguje, said there is the need for a multilateral cooperation between the countries involved in trade so that goods can move freely across the ECOWAS sub region.

The delegation also met the Trade Minister of Niger, who said he is aware of the many Nigeriens living in Ghana and expressed the hope that Ghana puts up some sound policies to attract part of that Nigerien International Trade business.

An open forum was organized at the end of the trade mission to Niger to discuss in detail the remedies that were suggested during the business to business meetings.