Security agencies go to school in Tamale

Sunyani (B/A), Aug. 25, GNA - Security personnel has been urged to brainstorm to help find solutions to risk of diversion, alleged harassment of transistors and non-adherence by transporters to load specifications, as associated with movement of transit cargo within the sub-region.

The call was made at a one-day workshop for some selected members of the security agencies in the northern sector of the country, under the theme, "Enhancing Transit Trade Through The Ghanaian Corridor - The Role of Security Personnel".

Mr Daniel K. M. Soadzedey, Deputy Managing Director, Technical, of State Insurance Company (SIC), made the call in a welcome address on behalf of Mr Peter Osei Duah, Managing Director. He said the company, upon the implementation of the Inter-State Road Transport of Goods (ISRT) Convention, had been appointed to take on the co-ordination and provide guarantees to ensure that goods passing through the Ghanaian corridor left the country to their final destinations.

The governments of Economic Community of West African States adopted the ISRT Convention in 1982.

It is a regime that allows the transportation of goods by road from one customs office in a member state to another or more member states, free of import duties, taxes and restrictions, while in transit. Mr Soadzedey reminded the security personnel of their role in the implementation of the ISRT and expressed the hope that as partners, they would continue to support and place their expertise at the disposal of the company to minimize the risk of diversion.

"This will guarantee the safety and confidence that foreign importers have in Ghana and to sustain and enhance the growth of the transit trade for the benefit of all of us", Mr Soadzedey stressed. He emphasised that the "SIC does not intend to usurp the powers of the state organisations in the area of cargo handling, customs procedures and security matters relating to goods from Ghana's ports to other countries".

Mr Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, who opened the workshop, observed that the ISRT would significantly accelerate the movement of goods and facilitate trade through the collaborative efforts of all stakeholders in the transit trade. He also observed that, the scheme would greatly improve the landlocked countries' access to Ghana's ports and facilitate intra-West Africa trade, thereby, boosting the country's desire to be a trade hub of West Africa through the gateway programme.

Presenting a paper on the overview of the ISRT convention, Mr Stephen Oppong, Deputy Director, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Co-operation and NEPAD, noted the dominant mode of road transport in transportation in ECOWAS, accounting for between 80 to 90 per cent of the sub-region's passenger and freight transport.

He said this had forced the regional body to make road construction a top priority for which considerable investment had gone into. Mr Oppong said about 7, 671 kilometres out of 9,000 kilometres of the Trans West African Highway network had been completed, while about 7,803 kilometres out of the 11, 071kilometres of inter-connection roads had also been tarred or upgraded to the status of all-weather roads. Mr Oppong expressed regret that out of the 14 countries that had ratified the convention, only about six, being Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Cote d' Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Mali, were implementing the scheme to satisfactory level.

He called for the early resolution of the guarantee problem bedevilling the convention to relieve transporters of extra financial burden.

Ms Angelina Ba iniah, Chief Collector of Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS), who delivered a paper on "Transit Procedures and Customs Documentation", said the service was expected to effectively monitor and control the movement of such goods within the country to prevent diversion into the local market. She said transit goods were required not to take more than 14 days after their release, to reach the port of exit.