The Greater Accra Transit Shipper Committee has held its third quarter meeting on 13th September, 2018 with a focus on trade facilitation concerns along Ghana’s transit corridor with its neighbouring landlocked countries of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.
Mr Fred Asiedu-Dartey(standing) making a presentation
The Committee members discussed issues on diversion of transit goods to evade taxation and how all actors along the clearance and transport chain must collaborate to address them.
They also deliberated on the unavailability of the CFA in Ghanaian banks for transactions with shippers from Francophone countries and VAT on goods in transit as some of the pressing concerns that needed immediate attention.
A sub-committee made up of representatives from the GRA-Customs Division, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA), GCNet, State Insurance Company, National Security and Freight forwarders was set up to review Standard Operating Procedures under the transit trade regime to ensure uniformity in the operations of all stakeholders for trade facilitation.
The Chairman of the meeting and Head of Freight and Logistics Department of the GSA, Mr Fred Asiedu-Dartey, made a presentation on the Ghana-Burkina Faso Railway Interconnectivity project and its likely impact on trade within the transit corridor. The project, when completed, will improve passenger and freight transport on the corridor and also accelerate development and economic growth of both countries.
The Transit Shipper Committee is a platform created by the GSA to assist in facilitating trade between Ghana and its landlocked neighbouring countries.
