Upper West: Traders appeal for Ghana-Burkina Faso border to be opened

Some traders along Ghana’s border to Burkina Faso at Tumu in the Upper West region have expressed concerns over the continued closure of the border to human traffic.

According to them, the closure is affecting their livelihoods as they are unable to ply their trade.

Speaking to Citi News, the traders say their businesses are near collapse and want the government to lift the ban.

One gentleman said, “Usually, we rely on the Burkina Faso markets to sell our produce because we get better prices there as compared to selling it in Ghana. So with the closure of the border, we have been restricted. So we cannot move our goods to Burkina Faso to sell.”

“I sell noodles. I used to buy the noodles and my vegetables from Burkina Faso. But because of the closure of the border, I can no longer go there. They should allow us to go there. Things have really become expensive. I would want to appeal to the government to support us with some packages so that we can continue with our businesses after the coronavirus,” a lady cried.

“When I went to the market, just one piece of carrot was close to GH¢2 cedis. Garlic was also GH¢2.50 which would be 50 pesewas under normal circumstances. We depend so much on Burkina Faso for certain products and this is affecting us,” another gentleman said.

Ketu residents cry for help

In a similar development, residents of the Ketu South District in the Volta Region who engage in cross-border trading activities are calling for urgent intervention following the closure of the borders.

According to them, the continued closure is adversely affecting their economic lives.

One of the border residents in Ketu South, Vincent Adzogah who spoke to Citi News said the halt in trading activities as a result of the closure is bringing untold hardship on them.

 

 

Background

The fast-spreading novel coronavirus outbreak in Ghana has called for stringent measures to prevent its spread, which includes the closure of borders to stop the import of the disease into the country.

President Nana Akufo-Addo instructed that all borders be closed when the coronavirus case count in Ghana stood at 21.

“All our borders; by land, sea and air, will be closed to human traffic for the next two weeks beginning midnight on Sunday,” he said in an address to the nation on Saturday, March 21.

The border closure which initially was to last for two weeks was not to affect the import of goods, supplies and cargo.

The directive was later extended indefinitely and is still in place till date.

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