By Laudia Anyorkor Nunoo
Tema, Oct. 31, GNA-The Borderless Alliance says the delays at checkpoints, unofficial payments and other non-tariff barriers continue to increase the cost of cross-border trade in Africa, despite regional efforts to facilitate the movement of goods and people.
Mr Ziad Hamoui, National President of the Alliance, said traders transporting goods across the region often encountered numerous checkpoints and administrative obstacles, even when their cargo, vehicles and transit documents complied with the relevant requirements.
He cited the Tema-Paga corridor, where he said available statistics indicated that trucks encountered about 85 checkpoints along the route, creating delays and opportunities for illicit payments.
Mr Hamoui, speaking at a media engagement on regional trade and border cooperation powered by the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), said African countries needed to focus on implementing existing agreements rather than continuously introducing new rules and regulations.
He stated that such practices undermined the benefits expected from regional trade agreements, including the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), because the cost of doing business extended beyond tariffs to include documentation, regulatory compliance, financial transactions and other border-related charges.
He identified the domestication of agreements, public education, and cooperation among border agencies as essential measures for improving regional trade.
He also called for stronger monitoring of agreed reforms, noting that some commitments were repeatedly discussed at regional meetings but were not effectively implemented.
Mr Hamoui said technology could help reduce administrative delays through electronic documentation, real-time tracking, and improved reporting systems.
He disclosed that a non-tariff barrier reporting platform for Ghana, being developed through collaboration involving Borderless Alliance, the Ghana Shippers’ Authority and the Burkina Faso Shippers’ Council, was expected to provide economic operators with a channel to report challenges affecting transit and cross-border trade.
He explained that the platform would help traders report problems and facilitate efforts to resolve them.
He, however, cautioned that technology alone could not address challenges rooted in institutional practices, weak enforcement, and inadequate cooperation.
Professor Paul Nugent, Founder and Chairman of the African Borderlands Research Network, said the lack of follow-up and verification contributed to the persistent gap between policy commitments and actual practices at border crossings.
Prof. Nugent noted that agencies responsible for implementing reforms needed designated units to monitor progress, verify compliance, and report on whether agreed measures were being carried out.
He also stressed the importance of research in understanding the practical challenges confronting border communities and traders.
He cited the Abidjan-Lagos corridor as an example of a route whose potential remained underutilised despite existing agreements and regional commitments.
The speakers called for stronger collaboration among governments, regional institutions, the private sector, and border communities to ensure that trade agreements translated into tangible benefits.
GNA
Edited by Linda Asante Agyei
Reporter: Laudia Anyorkor Nunoo, GNA
Email: [email protected]