Ghana seeks help from Burkina Faso to fight against FFP fertilizer smuggling

By
Mohammed Balu, RNG

Tumu (U / WR), July 14, GNA – The Haut-Ouest
Regional Minister Dr. Hafiz Bin Salih Visits Leo in Sissili Province
in Burkina Faso to seek collaboration to fight against fertilizer trafficking from Ghana
in Burkina Faso.

He requested that Planting for Food and
The jobs (PFJ) that would be seized by the Burkinabe authorities should be
shared freely among their local farmers.

The call to collaboration to deal
the smuggling of fertilizers into neighboring countries was at the origin of the recent
smuggling of goods, misappropriation and offenses relating to
distribution of fertilizer to Ghanaian farmers.

The growing threat has forced Ghana
competent authorities to suspend the distribution and transport of fertilizers to
farmers in nine districts of northern Ghana, including the municipality of Sissala East
and the western district of Sissala.

Despite several concerns raised about the
time ban, the government justified its decision to protect farmers and
ensure the success of the PFJ program.

Dr. Bin-Salih said, "We are here to interact
with you, but we have a number of concerns, one is the fact that a lot of
fertilizers from Ghana are smuggled into Burkina Faso, which is a
worrying situation for the Ghanaian government and people ".

"Our presence is to inform you so that we can
work with your security to help us fight and stop. " "We have pictures
and reports of the presence of products sold on the markets here [in
Burkina Faso] but these are not supposed to be sold. "

"Our
The Minister of Agriculture of Ghana made contact and made
correspondence with his colleague from Burkina Faso and pointed out that
we are here to ensure that they are fully taken into account, so that wherever,
they find PFJ fertilizer in Burkina Faso, they must seize and share
freely to their farmers because it is contraband.

"We do it in Ghana when we seize smugglers
products, we share them and call on you ".

A description of the brand fertilizer was
shown to the Burkinabe authorities.

The fertilizer was marked in
25 kilograms weight with unique yellow colors and inscription of the meaning of PFJ
"Plant for food and employment"

"This is my official visit to Leo and
asked with their kind permission to go around and visit some of the shops in
market and see things by ourselves, but the demand to visit the stores was
refused by the Burkinabe authorities, citing the need to inform stakeholders
before this observation can be allowed, "said Dr. Bin-Salih.

He added that the terrorist insurgency
activities in certain regions of Burkina Faso required the collaboration of the two countries
the security zone.

Welcoming the Ghanaian delegation,
Deputy Secretary to the High Commissioner of the Lion, Mr. Koné Yaya declared that
Commissioner was absent but committed to supporting and supporting the call for
collaboration.

He said that farmers in Burkina Faso
enjoys a subsidy, but contraband is also a problem and appeals to the
Delegation of Ghana to allow the two Ministries of Trade and Agriculture to
collaborate and have a joint control program.

The customs officer responsible for Customs, Mr.
Traoré T. Cyprian, told the delegation that sometimes officers find the
fertilizers imported into their country from Ghana.

"Sometimes they see but some
is not on a regular basis and when they see them, they grab them, they are
then condemned to pay high taxes and we let them in once they're paying the
fines, "he added:" But now we will collaborate, but we need to
the attention of all stakeholders ".

At the request of the Ghanaian delegation
visit the market, he said: "All directors, including the director of agriculture
and customs were not aware. "

He added that they would need to inform
their top hierarchy otherwise the traders could see their visit as "come to
check them "and asked them to postpone the visit to another time.

The Ghanaian delegation was composed of
National Director of Crops at the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Seth Osei Akoto,
Mr. Francis Ennor and the Regional Director of Agriculture for the Upper East, Mr.
Emmanuel Sasu Yeboah Regional Director of Agriculture of the Upper West, Mr. Iddi Musah
Representative of the Regional Minister of Upper East East.

The rest was COP Peter Ndekugri, the deputy
Commander of the West Superior Regional Police; Mr. Karim Nanyua, Municipality of East Sissala
General manager; Mr. Mohammed Zakaria Bakor, District Director in charge of
Sissala West District.

The Burkina Faso side included Mr. Napon Akimou,
Mr. Voda Alphonse, Mr. Ibouldo Moctar, Mr. Ziba Asseni Mr. Oudragou Issif, Mr.
Traore T Cyprien and Mr. Koné Yaya.

GNA