A photo of trucks in a queue
The Ghana Police Command in the Bono and Bono East Regions of Ghana have expressed their commitment to ensuring the safety of transit trucks and their drivers along the major transit corridors through the regions.
This commitment was made during a sensitisation seminar organised for Senior Police Officers on in the Bono Regions by the Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA) in Techiman.
Regional Police Commander of Bono East, DCOP Asumadu Okyere-Darko, speaking at a sensitization workshop emphasized the role of the Police in securing the transit corridor for the haulage of transit cargo.
He called on all Divisional Commanders of the MTTD in the regions to sensitize their officers deployed along the corridor to ensure they facilitate the movement of transit trucks along the corridor.
He noted that the Police Command would not spare any efforts to discipline officers who engage in unprofessional conduct along the corridor.
Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Shippers’ Authority, Ms. Benonita Bismarck, in a speech read on her behalf, commended the Police Service, especially the IGP, Mr. James Oppong Boanuh, for his support in the facilitation of the transit trade along Ghana’s transit corridors.
She expressed delight at the level of cooperation and collaboration between the two organisations and assured the transit trade community of expected improvements along our major transit corridors in overcoming the challenges of delays, harassment and illegitimate payments.
Ms. Bismarck noted that the GSA will continue to collaborate with the relevant authorities to educate truck drivers to comply with road traffic regulations and safety measures as their contribution to ensure smooth movement of the transit cargo along the corridor.
She emphasized the importance of transit trade to the Ghanaian economy such as the creation of jobs and revenue to key actors in the transit trade value chain.
Kumasi Branch Manager of the Ghana Shippers’ Authority, Mr. Isaac Tersiah Ackwerh, in his welcome address underscored the legal obligation coastal states owed geographically disadvantaged states such as Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger to facilitate their trade through our ports and corridors.
He noted that by international convention, Ghana has an obligation to ensure safe passage of transit cargo along its territories and consequently the need for all key stakeholders in the trade and transport value chain to recognise this and ensure that work is done to improve trade facilitation of transit cargo.
In all over 60 Divisional and District commanders from the Bono and Bono East Regions participated in the one-day workshop.