Burkinabe authorities release detained trucks
The Burkinabe authorities have released more than 100 transit trucks from the Tema and Takoradi ports that were detained for one month at the Burkinabe side of the Paga border in the Upper East Region.
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The trucks were impounded for failing to produce the loading document called "Bon de Chargement".
This followed the implementation of a piece of legislation that enjoined foreign drivers and business people to produce "Bon de Chargement," before they would be allowed to do business in that country.
The release was effected at 7a.m. on April 28, 2016, following a meeting held on April 21 in Burkina Faso between a Ghanaian delegation led by the Deputy Minister of Transport, Ms Joyce Mogtari, and a Burkinabe delegation led by its Minister of Transport, Urban Mobility and Road Safety, Mr Souleymane Soulama.
The meeting examined grievances presented by the Ghana side regarding the implementation of the legislation.
Deliberations
Ghana complained about the implementation of the law that had created disturbances on the Ghana-Burkina corridor, leading to the impounding of many trucks from Ghana and the confiscation of drivers' transit documents.
The Burkinabe authorities cited, among others issues, prolonged stay of Burkinabe drivers at the ports of Ghana; non-compliance with the quota system for allocation of Burkina Faso-bound goods in transit in Ghana by some players; and the laws regulating the management of the freight by the Burkinabe authorities.
A communique issued at the end of the meeting, agreed, among others, that the Ghana-Burkina Faso Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation (PJCC) should resume its work as soon as possible and conclude a bilateral agreement between the two countries.
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Clearance
The Second in Command of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Mr Emmanuel Lawson, told the Daily Graphic at the border that the few transit trucks parked at the time of this reporter's visit were undergoing the normal clearance processes.
He said on a daily basis, officials from the GRA Customs Division, the GCNET, the National Security and the State Insurance Company (SIC) Limited, went to the field to conduct checks on the trucks. This was first done at 7 a.m, then another check was done by 11 a.m.; 2p.m. and the last at 4p.m.
Mr Lawson indicated that those checks were, among other objectives, to ensure that all security devices affixed to the trucks remained intact.
The Paga Border Sector Commander of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Mr Francis Tachie, commended the Burkinabe sector commander for cooperating with him to ensure that the issue was resolved amicably.
He, however, expressed worry about the erratic power supply which was affecting smooth operations at the border.