Lome — The ECOWAS and UEMOA Commissions, in collaboration with the Governments of Ghana and Togo, the World Bank's Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Organization (ALCO), the USAID West Africa Trade Hub and private sector partners took a major step toward improving cross-border transport and trade with the launch on Thursday, 4th August 2011 of two Border Information Centres (BIC) on the Ghana-Togo border.

The BIC is an initiative by the USAID West Africa Trade Hub to support effective implementation of the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS), a regional mechanism for improving intra-Community trade in locally produced goods towards boosting the regional economy, stimulating employment and thereby contributing to the overall development of the region. In a message to the joint ceremony at Aflao (Ghana) and Kodzoviakopé (Togo), the President of the ECOWAS Commission, His Excellency, James Victor Gbeho, described the initiative as historic and praised Togo and Ghana for anchoring the Information Centres. "This is clearly a demonstration of commitment to the vision and ideals of the ECOWAS founding fathers and support for the ETLS", said Mr. Alfred Braimah, Director of Private Sector Directorate of the ECOWAS Commission, who represented the ECOWAS President. Mr. Braimah said the BIC is expected to make available relevant information that would facilitate the achievement of a common market status and regional integration encapsulated in Vision 2020 for an ECOWAS of people. He lamented that intra-ECOWAS trade hovers between 11 per cent and 15 per cent, far below the regional potential, adding however, that the voice and complaints of the private sector had been heard with the launch of the BIC initiative. Ghana's Deputy Minister of Transport, Mrs. Dzifa Ativor, highlighted the inter- relationship between transport and international trade and the important role of exchange of information in regional integration. She called for total support for the success of the BIC.

Cutting the ribbon to open the Aflao section of the Information Centre, Mr. Nii Ansah-Nsah Adjaye, who represented the Minister of Trade and Industry, Ghana, Honourable Hanna Tetteh, said the BIC seeks to remove tariff and non- tariff barriers to trade in the region. "The core objective," he said, "is to provide information to both the public and private sector on general trading rules and procedures to facilitate border processing, reduce costs reduce costs and delays, and finally increase trade among ECOWAS States". Mr. Adjaye described as "regrettable" the situation whereby total ECOWAS exports in 2009 were put at some US$70 billion, while intra-ECOWAS trade was only US$6 billion. He urged stakeholders to take advantage of the BIC to educate themselves on relevant business information and what the laws require of each actor in order to improve the cross-border transport situation and regional trade. The Minister of Commerce, Togo, Honourable Seleagodji Ahoumey-Zunu, who declared the Kodzoviakopé Information Centre open, pledged the commitment of the Togolese Government to the ECOWAS agenda of regional integration, improved trade and free movement of goods and services.

The joint ceremony, graced by top security officials of the two countries and Paramount Chiefs of the border communities, was also addressed by officials of the US Embassies in Togo and Ghana, as well as representatives of the USAID West Africa Trade Hub, ALCO, the Borderless Alliance and the Ghana Shippers Authority. In their remarks, the Charge d'affaires of the US Embassy in Togo, Ms Ellen Thornburn and the Deputy Head of the American Mission in Ghana, Ms Teresa Stewart, both underlined the urgent need to remove all impediments to free movement, transportation and trade in West Africa for the benefit of the people. Major General Carl Modey, Commissioner of Customs, Ghana, said the launch of the BIC was timely and pledged the commitment of security agencies to ease cross-border transport and trade, adding that the procedural delays, harassment and payment without receipt would be a thing of the past. Paramount Chief Torgbuiwo Amenya Fiti, Daxo of Afloa State Ghana, Togo and Benin, in his remarks called on the authorities to allow the Ghana section of the Ghana-Togo border to be opened to traffic for 24 hours a day to facilitate the free movement of persons, goods and services.

The Aflao Information Centre is hosted by the Ghana Shippers' Authority, one of the USAID West Africa Trade Hub partners, while the Kodzoviakopé, Centre is hosted by the ALCO, which is funded by the World Bank. Similar Centres are envisaged at the Ghana-Burkina Faso border at Paga-Dakola and at the Senegal-Mali border at Kidira. Transport costs in West Africa are considered among the highest in the world, constituting a serious constraint to business across the region and a disincentive to local and foreign investment. The objective of the BIC is to reduce transport costs, reduce if not eliminate delays in paperwork processing, prevent duplicative processes/procedures, and improve collaboration/coordination of enforcement agencies.