GIFF President warns against removal of border post from Aflao to Akano
President of the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF), Eddy Akrong, has cautioned against the relocation of the border post from Aflao to Akano – both in the Volta Region.
The relocation of the border post without thorough consideration, Mr Akrong asserts, is likely to result in government failing to secure its revenues from the border post, the main reason for the relocation of the border post.
According to Mr Akrong, given the enormous infrastructural challenges present at the Akano border, a total relocation of the border post to Akano will negatively impact the needed revenue to be generated.
“The booming economic situation at Aflao is because of the border post, and so a sharp deviation from it can result in the crumbling of the Aflao economy.
“The removal of the border post to Akano which is in Togoland by the way is not the best because its going to be a boom for them [Togo] because they are properly set up there but we are not. At Akano, there is erratic electricity supply especially at night, there are serious communication issues there, major infrastructure problems, among others.
“The parking situation is bad and the bridges on which the trucks are to move and go through the borders are not good. So we have to look at it carefully before we move there.
“Moving everything from Aflao to Akano is not the best [sic]. Yes we know about the joint border post, but for everything to be moved to Akano, that, we did not know and were not consulted,” he stated.
Adding that, a petition will be presented to Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority and the Ghana Immigration Service on the relocation of the border post to Akano.
Mr Akrong made the above assertions discussing how the country’s maritime industry fared in 2021 on the Eye on Port programme monitored by NorvanReports.
Giving a retrospect of issues that popped up in the maritime Industry in 2021, Mr Akrong opined that despite the Covid pandemic which has negatively impacted activities of freight forwarders and the trading community at large, the high freight charges coupled with scuffles with shipping lines over exorbitant local charges, and the illegal operation of foreign companies in Customs Brokerage Services reserved solely for Ghanaians, freight forwarders and the entire trading community braved through the year and will continue to do same in 2022.
Speaking on the issues faced by freight forwarders in 2021, he noted that most of the issues remain largely unresolved but, however, gave the assurance that the Institute will do everything in its power to ensure that all outstanding issues between shipping lines and freight forwarders are completely resolved this year.
