As part of ongoing efforts to tackle challenges facing cross-border traders in northern Ghana, the Northern Zonal Office of the Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA) held a sensitization programme for traders in Wa on Thursday, 11th September 2025, at the Conference Hall of the Inservice Training Centre.
The meeting brought together importers and exporters of cereals, cattle, spare parts, and cooking oil, alongside freight forwarders and JAPTU members. The purpose was to educate participants on operational rules and responsibilities along transit corridors. Resource persons were drawn from the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), and the Customs Division of the GRA.In his remarks, the Northern Zonal Manager, Mr Frederick Atogiyire, reaffirmed GSA’s commitment to supporting traders. He noted GSA’s offices at border posts and expressed confidence that the programme would sharpen traders’ knowledge and ease some of their shipping challenges. He stressed that the training was designed to inform traders and build closer working ties with GSA by creating space to discuss the hurdles confronting their businesses. He urged participants to promptly report problems to GSA for redress.
From the GIS, DSC Gabriel Agbeli, Acting Second in Command, reminded participants that their mandate is to regulate the lawful and orderly movement of people across borders. He explained that GIS is the lead border management agency and enforces the requirement for travellers to carry valid documents, preferably a passport or an ECOWAS-approved national ID such as the Ghana Card.
Representing the Ghana Police Service, Alhaji Iddi Ziblim, Upper West Regional MTTD Commander, highlighted the Police role in protecting lives and property, ensuring public order, enforcing traffic rules, and safeguarding cargo.
Mr Anokye, Officer in Charge of the GRA Customs Division at the Hamile Border, outlined the Customs mandate of enforcing tax laws, facilitating legitimate trade, keeping goods moving safely across Ghana’s borders, and raising sustainable revenue for the state.
During the interactive session, a JAPTU representative alleged that Immigration officers at Hamile demand money from drivers even when they hold the required documents. The GIS representative restated that the lawful requirement for travel is a passport or the Ghana Card. He explained that officers are trained to verify nationality and, where necessary, allow Ghanaians entry even without documents. He urged travellers to resist illegal demands and report such cases immediately.
One trader complained about the numerous checkpoints, especially on the Wa–Bole Bamboi stretch, where extortion takes place at almost every stop, causing heavy delays. The Police representative replied that the barriers are meant to check armed robbery along that road, though traders argued that the practice slows trade.
A freight forwarder also claimed that Immigration officers at Hamile impose unofficial fees for stamping passports, with charges varying by nationality. Holders of newly issued passports, he added, are often asked to pay higher sums before being allowed entry.
The concerns, raised openly, underlined the need for urgent reforms, clearer rules at border posts, and stronger accountability to stop illegal charges and keep trade moving without extra cost.
