Concerns have been raised about the deplorable state of infrastructure at the Ghana-end of the border to Ivory Coast. According to a latest report by the Sekondi Takoradi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (STCCI), travellers, traders and other migrants are made to compromise on their personal comfort, safety and health in using places of convenience, haulage parks, Rest-stops among others, at the Ghana side of the border.
Revealing details of the report titled ‘Transborder Survey’ to Skyy News, Deputy Chief Executive for STCCI, Benjamin Nii Kpani stated that there is no decent parking space for trucks at the Ghaain side, unlike the Ivorian side.
“The infrastructure at the border, at the Ghana side is bad as compared to that of the Cote D’Ivoire side. The Cote D’Ivoire side has a good parking space for their trucks; they have good washrooms; they have reception areas that the drivers can wait, unlike the Ghana side, where there was nothing like that.
“So you find out that the drivers were packed on the streets; they’ve congested the streets – every corner, and the drivers do not have any place to rest. And the whole of the Ghana border has only one public place of convenience which is quite far away, and so there were a lot of complains that the drivers actually have to ease themselves in open places and all of that,” Mr Nii Kpani told our reporter.
Mr Benjamin Nii Kpani said the Chamber is therefore calling on government to improve infrastructure at the border, especially as it host the African Continental Free Trade Agreement.
“So one of the key areas we want to call upon is our Ghanaian authorities – to do something about the infrastructure at the Ghana side of the border. I say look, it is nothing good to write home about,” he stated.
Story: Abraham Mensah/Skyy News/Takoradi.
