Ghana, Burkina Faso Talks End

Ghana and Burkina Faso on Thursday ended two days of talks on Regional Co-operation to find solutions to problems that hinder smooth implementation of the protocols of the Economic Community of West African States.

The technical level discussion was also to explore avenues for consensus building on ECOWAS issues as well as on how to facilitate trade between the two countries in order to raise the living standards of the people.

The delegates from the Ministry of Interior, Customs, Excise and Preventive Service, and the Immigration Service deliberated on the protocol of free movement of goods and persons, the use of the Ghanaian ports for Burkina Faso imports and joint border check points. In a joint communiqu?, the two countries expressed concern about harassment of people by officials of the security services at the various border posts, saying they are a breach of individual rights to free movement under the protocol.

Noting that cross border trade between the two countries is very essential, the communiqu? took note of the non-application of the protocol relating to the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme.

It called on the custom authorities of the two countries to explore ways in the shortest possible time to agree on admitting ETLS goods at zero rate and to also train and sensitise custom officers to apply the protocols.

The two delegations recognised the need for collaboration in the use of the Ghanaian corridor, but the Burkina Faso delegation was unhappy about the high level of transit fees, as the result of increased charges for escorting goods. Both delegations agreed to establish joint border posts and together pledged to ensure that a proposal on joint pilot checkpoints Ghana submitted to the ECOWAS secretariat receives the necessary attention.

There was also consensus on the establishment of a joint Commission, which would meet regularly to look at the modalities for the implementation.

In an address, Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom, Minister of Economic Planning and Regional Cooperation said a key area of concern to Ghana is how to increase trade levels between the two countries and emphasised that improved trade relations is the surest way to give meaning to economic development and the ideals of ECOWAS.

Ghana, he said, was, therefore, interested in opening its borders on a 24-hour basis and asked the Burkina Faso delegation to examine the proposal, which he

said was necessary to enhance trade and free movement of people between the two countries.

Dr. Nduom said the idea of one border post and check point would require a change in procedure and building of the necessary infrastructure, but said the two countries could still exchange personnel on their sides of the border to ensure that the ECOWAS protocols are observed.

Mr Jonny Quangraou, Technical Adviser to the Burkina Faso Minister of Integration said countries in the sub-region need to integrate to give meaning to the protocols, saying integration is not an issue of choice but an imperative for all the countries.