GIFF wants Government to postpone Operations at Noepe-Akanu Joint Boarder Post

The Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF) has appealed to the government to consider postponing the full operationalization of  the Noepe-Akanu joint boarder post (JBP) at Dzodze in the Ketu North Municipality of the Volta region.

In a petition to the Commissioner-general of the Ghana Revenue Authority (Customs Division) and copied to relevant ministries and stakeholders, GIFF called for a proper stakeholder engagement to prepare and mutually implement both the Noepe-Akanu and Aflao- Kodjoviakope boarders for the benefit of all industry players.

GIFF in the petition, cited a number of challenges including the unavailability of properly demarcated access roads and parking lots for trucks, data connectivity and network problems, defective, dormant and non-standard electronic scan machines, erratic and unreliable source of electricity, non-functional axle weight bridges among others as hindrances to the full operationalization of the joint boarder as directed by government.

The petition noted that per a letter from the National Security Ministry to the Commissioner General of the customs division of the GRA, dated October 28, 2021, after a bilateral agreement between Ghana and Togo on October 6, 2021, the said operationalization would be targeted at goods in transit through the Noepe-Akanu boarder with other exports and imports from Ghana and Togo going through the Aflao- Kodjoviakope boarders and Kpoglo- Segbe boarders respectively.

GIFF is however surprised at the turn of events adding that “as  freight forwarders and partners in revenue mobilization we are concerned about the huge investments done to rehabilitate the Aflao boarder which is the most preferred boarder in West Africa and beyond”.

The GIFF feels that the Aflao boarder is being collapsed for the full operationalization of the Noepe-Akanu boarder post which it observed was not properly planned for the intended purposes. Currently, most of the activities at the Aflao boarder have come to a standstill, a situation which he bemoaned is adversely affecting the work of their members.

A recent visit by ghananewsonline.com.gh to the Noepe-Akanu boarder post confirmed most of the concerns raised by the freight forwarders as nothing much seems to be going on at the post. A source close to the GRA customs division, Aflao sector lamented the current development and wonders why the directive was to be carried out with immediate effect when the Noepe-Akanu boarder post lacks most of the facilities for full operationalization.

Efforts made to speak to the authorities on the matter have also proved futile.

Meanwhile, the GIFF is considering a massive demonstration to further press home their demands should the government fail to resolve the issue within the shortest possible time.

By Nelson Ayivor || Ghananewsonline.com.gh