Shippers Authority, Police pledge to remove trade barriers

The Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA) and the Police Service have renewed their commitment towards working together to remove trade barriers along the country’s transit corridor.

The two made the pledge when the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the GSA, Ms Benonita Bismarck, paid a courtesy call on the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr James Oppong-Boanuh.

She informed the Police Administration about the establishment of an e-platform by the GSA in collaboration with the Borderless Alliance to provide real-time solutions to non-tariff barriers to trade along Ghana’s transit corridor.

Ms Bismarck said with the ongoing expansion works at the Tema Port it was expected that trade would increase between Ghana and the landlocked countries of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.

She, however, said the GSA identified 75 police barriers between Tema and Paga during its quarterly road trips and monitoring exercises along the corridor.

Ms Bismark said the barriers had become a conduit for some officers of the Police Service to extort monies from transit shippers, especially truck drivers, for supposed road traffic infractions.

The development, she said, had led to the increasing cost of doing business along the corridor with its associated delays, which sometimes caused damage to perishable goods.

She appealed to the IGP to assist the GSA to resolve the challenge.

Mr Oppong-Boanuh assured the GSA of the Police Administration’s support in removing non-tariff barriers along the corridor.

He said liaison officers would be appointed to work with regional commanders in collaboration with the GSA to address the issue.

He appealed to shippers and truck drivers to report officers who extorted monies from them to the authorities to face the right sanctions.

Explaining why there was an increase in the number of police barriers along the corridor, the IGP said the proliferation of weapons and pockets of violence registered in the sub-region, coupled with the fight against crime internally, had necessitated the Service to put in place extra measures to keep the country safe.