The Minister of Roads and Highways, Amin Amidu Suleman has pledged government’s resolve to tackle-head-on, the high cost of transport and trade facilitation.

Transportation cost along Ghana’s corridor is said to be the highest within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) sub-region; something attributable partly to combined factors of “excessive physical and non-tariff barriers”.

Addressing the opening of a three-day seminar on transport and trade facilitation in Kumasi, the sector Minister said government will work with all stakeholders to make things better.

“The National Road Transport and Transit Facilitation Committee would do everything to make it easier and smooth for goods and people to be moved along the nation’s transit corridors.”

The focus of the Ministry is the development of major road networks, reduction of the number of road blocks and enforcement of motor-traffic regulations.

Good road infrastructure, he noted, will tremendously help to improve travel time and vehicle operating cost, adding that, the benefits of trade facilitation on the economy would be enormous.

The seminar, which is being organized jointly by the Committee and the Ghana Police Service, brought together the police, freight forwarders, Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) – Customs Division, insurance companies, importers and exporters, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, ECOWAS Brown Card Secretariat, representatives of the Burkinabe Shippers Council, Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council and other stakeholders in the transportation industry.

It is meant to assist them to have better understanding of their roles and responsibilities in trade facilitation along the regional corridors of the country.

Mr. Suleman said to enjoy optimal gains from the nation’s strategic geographical location in the sub-region, there is the need to improve the efficiency of the ports, enhance operations at the borders and the improvement of the road and rail transportation network.

Topics they are discussing include “The overview of the ECOWAS Conventions”, “Decisions and Resolutions on Regional Integration”, “Trade and Security”, “Activities of the National Facilitation Committee”, “Barriers in Transport and Trade Facilitation” and “Best practices in cross-border transport and transit facilitation”.