Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA), a state agency operating under the auspices of Ministry of Transport to protect and promote the interests of shippers in Ghana, has assured cross-border women traders of its support.

Mrs Monica Josiah, Head, Shipper Services and Trade Facilitation at GSA, who gave the assurance, said the partnership support to the border women residents engaged in informal trade across the border, would enable them explore the full benefits of African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

She said not only would the partnership help the women group in exploring the benefits of AfCFTA, a free trade area encompassing most of Africa with the aim to provide broader and deeper economic integration across the continent but also, that of other development agencies in relation to trade information advocacy and research.

Mrs Josiah was speaking at a familiarisation meeting with the executives of newly-formed National Cross Border Women Traders Association (NCBWTA), a cross-border women traders empowerment group, at Akanu in the Ketu North Municipality.

She commended the initiative to help reduce barriers in informal cross-border trade, which players were mostly women.

She said the female-intensive sector was tied to livelihoods of border women residents and their dependents thus, initiatives aimed at addressing such constraints were welcoming.

Speaking to Ghana News Agency after the meeting, Mr Oscar Akaba Norvixoxo, Coordinator, NCBWTA, was grateful for the working visit and the assurance from GSA, saying it would go a long way to benefit their members in terms of rapid trade information availability and research to shape activities of the Association and its members “to reduce barriers like extortion from women traders when crossing the border to trade.”

“I call on other stakeholders in trade facilitation to emulate the move by Ghana Shippers Authority as such partnerships will go a long way to achieve objectives of AfCFTA to promote made in Africa goods.”

Also, on the team from the GSA were its Tema Branch Manager, Mr Charles Darlington Sey and Mr Eugene Addico of Shippers Complaint Unit at Akanu.