ISODEC calls for regional integration

Bolgatanga, March 23, GNA - Dr Yakubu Zakaria, Director of Programmes of the Integrated Social Development Centre (ISODEC), has said failure by the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) to fully implement th= e treaty on the Regional Integration was impeding the economic growth of the sub-region. He said this at a two-day capacity building workshop organized for Non State Actors (NSAs) on the Regional Integration process at Bolgatanga. He said it was regrettable that after five decades member states of ECOWAS had failed to fully implement policies and programmes relating to regional integration. Dr Zakaria said if all member states implemented the treaty it would hav= e help the economic development of member states and reduce poverty. He said the kind of harassment traders of member states undergo when trading across border towns was putting majority of them out of business. "Traders especially women dealing in perishable goods such as tomato have to be subjected to several harassments including paying of bribes and sometimes subjected to sexual harassment", he said.

Dr Zakaria said there was the need for capacity building programmes for people who are in the frontlines of the ECOWAS Integration such as Customs and Immigration officers among others to bring about attitudinal change. He said ISODEC and its partners would soon mobilize people at the grassroots level to report these negative practices.