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

Company News of Monday, July 15, 2019

Source: ghananewsagency.org

2019-07-15

The Regional Minister of Haut-Ouest, Mr. Hafiz Bin Salih, went to Leo in the province of Sissili, Burkina Faso, to seek collaboration in the fight against the fertilizer trafficking from Ghana to Burkina Faso.

He requested that Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJs) fertilizers that would be seized by the Burkinabe authorities be distributed free of charge to local farmers.

The call for collaboration to fight against fertilizer smuggling in neighboring countries was a follow-up to recent reports of smuggling, misappropriation, and misdemeanors over the distribution of fertilizer. Fertilizer to Ghanaian farmers.

The growing threat has forced Ghanaian authorities to suspend the distribution and transport of fertilizer to local farmers in nine districts in northern Ghana, including Sissala East Municipality and Sissala West District.

Despite several concerns raised about the temporary ban, the government has justified its intention 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, including the fact that a lot of Ghana's fertilizers are being smuggled into Burkina Faso. This is a worrying situation for the government and the government. the people of Ghana ".

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

"Our Minister of Agriculture in Ghana has contacted his colleague from Burkina Faso and has written to him to signal that we are here to ensure that they are fully taken into account. Thus, wherever they find PFJ fertilizer in Burkina Faso, they should seize and share it freely with their farmers, because it is contraband.
"We do it in Ghana, when we seize contraband, we share it and call on you to do it."

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

The fertilizer was labeled in weight of 25 kg with unique yellow colors and the inscription PFJ meaning "Plant for food and employment".
"This is my official visit to Leo. I asked them, with their kind permission, to visit some of the shops on the market and see for themselves, but the Burkinabe authorities rejected the visit request. inform stakeholders before such an observation can be allowed, "said Dr. Bin-Salih.

He added that the resurgence of terrorist activities in some regions of Burkina Faso had forced the two countries to collaborate in the field of security.

Welcoming the Ghanaian delegation, the secretary to Léon Kone Yaya's high commissioner said that the commissioner was absent but had pledged to support and support the call for collaboration.

He added that farmers in Burkina Faso also benefited from subsidies, but that smuggling was also a problem and called on the Ghanaian delegation to allow the two Ministries of Trade and Agriculture to collaborate and put in place a program. common control program.

The customs officer in charge of customs, Mr. Traoré T. Cyprian, told the delegation that agents sometimes found that fertilizers were imported from Ghana.

"Sometimes they see some of them but it's not on a regular basis and when they see them, they grab them, they are then fined to pay high taxes and we leave them enter once they have paid the fines, "he added. : "But now, we will collaborate but this requires the attention of all stakeholders".

At the request of the Ghanaian delegation to visit the market, he said: "All directors, including the director of agriculture and customs, were not aware of it".
He added that they should inform their higher hierarchy, otherwise the traders could see their visit as "coming to control them", and asked them to postpone the visit at another time.

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

The others were COP Peter Ndekugri, Deputy Commander of the Upper West Regional Police; Mr. Karim Nanyua, Director General of the Municipality of East Sissala; Mr. Mohammed Zakaria Bakor, District Director of Sissala West.

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