EXCITEMENT GREETED President Akufo-Addo’s announced border reopening yesterday.
Both the Paga border in the Kassena-Nankana West District in the Upper East Region and Elubo in the Western Region showed traders beaming with smiles about the prospects of booming business following the border reopening.
While Paga borders Burkina Faso, Elubo does so with Ivory Coast.
The Paga border, like others across the country, was closed as part of the government’s measures to prevent possible spread of COVID-19 in Ghana by infected persons from foreign countries.
The closure of the Paga border affected free flow of goods and persons in and out of Ghana through the approved border, which resulted in many traders not being able to travel to Burkina-Faso to import goods freely.
A trader, Afisha Osman, told the DAILY GUIDE that, though there was some movement of persons into Ghana to buy goods from her during the closure, the people did so with so much fear that the border officials would find them out and punish them.
There is so much stress and loss in smuggling, but now I can go to Burkina-Faso to buy my things and bring them through the border boldly and openly,” Ms Osman said.
Prior to the closure of the Paga border in 2020, many Burkinabes trooped to entertainment centers in Paga to enjoy their weekends, but that stopped when the borders were officially closed, thereby denying hospitality operators some revenue.
The recent protest by residents of Elubo when the effects of the closure impacted negatively on business was yesterday replaced by elation.
Some of the traders have, however, appealed to the President to prevail upon his counterparts in the Ivory Coast to open their side of the border.
Some residents at the land borders described the land border closure as useless as unapproved routes were largely used.
A similar picture of excitement has been painted about the Aflao border which leads to Togo, Benin and Nigeria.
FROM: Ebo Bruce-Quansah, Paga & Emmanuel Opoku, Elubo