The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority has successfully completed a 5-day trade mission to the Capital of Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou, to woo economic operators in that landlocked country.
The trade mission forms part of efforts by the Port Authority to increase transit volumes that come through the ports of Ghana.
The high-powered delegation was led by a Board Member of GPHA who is president of Ghana Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Clement Osei Amoako.
The delegation comprised Director-General of GPHA, Mr. Michael Luguje; Commissioner of Customs, Alhaji Seidu Iddrisu Iddissah; Commissioner of Police in charge of General Services, Mr. Enoch Bediako; Director of the Port of Tema, Mrs. Sandra Opoku; Director of Port Takoradi, Mr. Peter Amo Bediako; and the Director in charge of Port Keta project, Dr. Alexander Adusei.
The team was also made up of representatives from the Ghana Shippers Authority, State Insurance Company, Amaris Terminal, Hass Logistics, Safe Bond Terminal and Joint Association of Port Transport Unions (JAPTU).
Speaking at a forum, leader of the delegation Mr. Clement Osei Amoako said Ghana’s ports have seen massive improvement in recent times.
Apart from the excellent relationship both countries enjoy at the macro level, he noted that the Port Authority has also had a very good and fruitful relationship with the business community and economic operators of Burkina Faso over many years.
“As a business entity mindful of the fierce competition we are confronted with, ours is to continue strategising and upgrading our ports to give you efficient services at competitive rates, because that is the only attraction for any businessman or woman,” he averred.
The Director-General, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Mr. Michael Luguje, said transit trade traffic through Ghana’s ports has increased from 500 tonnes in 1994 to 1.1 million tonnes currently.
He said the Port Authority remains committed to ensuring that an enabling environment is created for transit trade to thrive.
“The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority appreciates Burkina Faso patronising our ports and our corridor. On our records, Burkina Faso is the leading landlocked country that uses our ports among the three; and we are happy to know that in Burkina Faso’s records Ghana’s corridor is number-two among the three corridors. We are working very hard to ensure that we move to the number-1 position, but we cannot do that without increased patronage from Burkina exporters and importers,” Mr. Luguje stated.
The Commissioner, Customs Division of GRA, Alhaji Seidu Iddrisu Iddissah, said his outfit is committed to ensuring that they facilitate trade for compliant traders.
He said Customs has started taking steps to ensure transit goods are not auctioned unlawfully.
The Commissioner of Ghana Police in charge of General Services, Mr. Enoch Bediako who represented the Inspector General of Police, said the police administration introduced snap checkpoints on the Ghanaian corridor to curb armed-robbery but not to frustrate transitors.
“The snap checkpoints are not there to intimidate any driver or harass any driver, they are there to protect all of us,” he averred.
The Representative of the Director-General, Burkina Shippers’ Council, said Ghana’s corridor is one of the important as it registered a significant number of transit trade to Burkina Faso in 2023.
He called on the Port Authority to work hand in hand with economic operators to boost the transit trade.
The Minister for Transport, Urban Mobility and Road Safety of Burkina Faso, in a speech read on his behalf by the Director of Cabinet, Mamadou Cisse, charged the delegation to address all challenges confronting the economic operators of Burkina Faso in order to attract more businesses into the country.
