Personnel of the Ghana Police Service have been entreated to uphold the legislations, protocols and agreements that govern the right of free access to the sea for landlocked countries. This is to, among other things, ensure that the country’s transit corridors remain the preferred routes for landlocked countries to boost the economy as well as Ghana’s image in the international community.
The legislations include the UNCTAD Convention on the Transit Trade of Landlocked Countries (1965), the International Convention on Multimodal Transport of Goods (1980), the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1994), the ECOWAS Convention pertaining to the Inter-State Road Transit of Goods (ISRT) (1982) and the World Trade Organization Agreement (WTO) (2013), among others.
The message was conveyed by the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA), Ms. Benonita Bismarck, during a sensitisation seminar for personnel of the Ghana Police Service held at Ho in the Volta Region on Thursday, 9th November, 2023.
In a speech read on her behalf by the Head of the Tema Branch of GSA, Mr. Charles Sey, she reiterated the point that Ghana’s economy benefits immensely from the activities of stakeholders in the transit trade sector, which is contrary to the widely held perception that the country does not derive any benefit from transit trade through its corridors.
She said: “A study conducted by GSA in 2015 indicated that a total revenue of US$34million was accrued to Ghana’s economy from some quantifiable services provided by stakeholders in the transit trade sector”.
It is for this reason that GSA collaborated with the Ghana Police Service to sensitise about sixty (60) senior officers in the Volta Region on the importance of the transit trade ecosystem to Ghana’s economy, and the role of the Police Service in ensuring that the sector thrives.
Presentations were made by the Head of the Freight and Logistics Department of GSA, Mr. Fred Asiedu-Dartey and by the Director of the Motor, Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service, Supt. Dr. Samuel Sasu-Mensah. Mr. Asiedu-Dartey espoused the contribution of transit trade to Ghana’s economy and Supt. Dr. Sasu-Mensah enlightened Police officers on the role of the Police Service in transit trade. The officers took turns to address some of the challenges that have persisted along the transit routes as revealed by GSA’s routine fact-finding trips along the transit corridors. The Police pledged to assist GSA and other stakeholders to improve the experience of transit traders.
The Ho Regional Commander of the Ghana Police Service, DCOP Andres Badu-Ekumah, reiterated the desire of the Ghana Police Service to complement the effort of GSA to ensure safety and security on Ghana’s transit corridors.
