The Northern Zonal office of the Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA) as part of its routine activities held the 3rd meeting of the Transit Shipper Committee in Paga on Thursday, 26th February 2026. The meeting brought together all the Trade Facilitation Agencies at the Paga border to deliberate on issues that impact trade with the aim to enhance inter-agency collaboration for the seamless movement of cargo at the border and along the corridor at large.
The Northern Zonal Manager, Mr. Frederick Atogiyire, in his Opening Remarks, commented the on-cargo congestion experienced at the border the previous month, and commended the Border Agencies for the diverse roles they played to manage the flow of traffic. He re-capped the key issues that were discussed at the last meeting and the interventions the Zonal office had made towards their resolution.
Critical issues on trade that were discussed at the meeting included the need for Paga Chapter of the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF) to regulate the activities of their members at the border. Participants bemoaned the lack of professionalism on their part which was reflected in the absence of name tags to identify them as well as their failure to wear reflector jackets, which is a standard dress code for border operations. The Chairman of the Paga Chapter of GIFF, Mr. Wenawome Abora promised that he would convene a meeting with his members to address the challenges identified and would update the committee at its next meeting.
Cross-Section of Members at the Meeting
The need for truck driver sensitization, which was identified as a key issue, was deliberated extensively. Behaviors, including drunk-driving and abuse of drugs by some of the truck drivers were said to often result in unnecessary confrontation with Security Officers on duty long the highways.
A representative of the Ghana Police Service recounted that, language barrier was a major challenge for because of the drivers from the neighboring Francophone countries who could not speak English just as they are unable to speak to French. He was, however, quick to add that the administration of the Ghana Police Service was working hard to build the proficiency of Police Officers on road duties along the transit corridors in French lessons to equip them to better engage French drivers on the road.
Members also suggested the need for additional space within the Paga township or at the border to serve as a Holding Area for cargo trucks when there is congestion at the border, instead of the Paga airstrip, which is used as a temporary truck park. They explained that, using the airstrip as a Holding Area for truck poses a significant security threat, as the situation would get in the way in the event of an emergency. The Managers of the GPHA truck yard informed the meeting that a plan to provide such a bespoke facility was already in place.
Members of the Transit Shipper Committee
The meeting ended with a renewed commitment from stakeholders to strengthen cooperation and address the operational challenges affecting transit trade at the Paga border. The Ghana Shippers Authority reaffirmed its resolve to sustain the committee as a platform for dialogue, to ensure that concerns raised translate into practical actions that enhance efficiency and promote smoother cross border trade along the Northern corridor
