Ghana may continue to deal with the importation of reduced quantities of tomatoes and livestock; sheep, goats and cattle from its neighbour and trade partner, Burkina Faso. This is because of the activities of terrorists in Burkina Faso and threats of same in Ghana.
It has come to light that while ECOWAS has not closed trade routes between Burkina Faso and its partners, business individuals are unable to travel freely throughout the country, Burkina Faso, to get enough quantities of tomatoes and livestock for importation into Ghana.
This is according to Ghana’s Ambassador to Burkina Faso, H.E Boniface Gambila. He said this when he spoke on A1 Radio’s Day Break Upper East Show today, Monday, June 27, 2022.
“In certain seasons, you know that certain people, especially our women and traders go to Burkina Faso to buy tomatoes and other things. Terrorism has limited their activities in the country; how far they can go to the farms. It is difficult. You see that we no longer have the cattle and the rams in the markets here as we used to have. These cattle and rams mostly come from risky areas. Now, who will go there?”
He said to ensure that trade, even in this difficult time is made a lot easier, trade groups within the subregion, particularly Ghana have been given some preferential treatment and protection.
This is to ensure that their job is made a little easier and safer and allow them to conduct their business smoothly.
Earlier, H.E Gambila explained that trade routes between the two countries remain open for business.
Fortunately, ECOWAS has not implemented sanctions like border closures and all those things. The borders are opened so I can confidently say that the trade routes are opened. We have intervened in various places on behalf of our [Ghanaian] business people. We are able to make the State institutions pick the needed information for our people. Wherever they [ghanaian traders] are stuck, we have a consular who is able to connect and give first aid to them.”
“Work is going on very well. We are meeting and selling Ghana. We have a body with lots purpose is to advocate for traders; the tomato traders for example,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ghana’s Ambassador to Burkina Faso, H.E Boniface Gambila has cautioned the youth against falling for sumptuous relocation deals in their search for greener pastures.
He said over the past few months, in a rather worrying development, a lot of Ghanaian individuals have been lured to Burkina Faso under the guise of being transported through South Africa and then to the United Kingdom, Dubai, Kuwait and other countries in Europe to seek well-paying jobs.
H.E Gambila said these individuals are made to pay between Ghc5,000 and Ghc15,000 for these relocation deals. The victims are lured to Burkina Faso, wined and dined in fine restaurants under duress with their pictures taken to give an allure of a pleasurable life.
Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana
