Ghanaian traders who use the Aflao border are appealing to the authorities to take steps to end what they describe as extortion by some Togolese officials on the Togo side of the border.
The traders say they are forced to pay up to 10 cedis any time they cross the border to Togo.
The Aflao border is a busy route which sees traders moving across the border to and from Togo on a daily basis.
The traders, mostly women are often seen with goods strapped to their backs. The women import items ranging from food products to clothing and cooking utensils.
Crossing the border from the Ghanaian side often goes without incident but the story changes when you reach the Togo side of the border. I was asked to provide my traveller’s passport and yellow card, which I did without hesitation.
My colleague, who deliberately left his passport at home, was asked to pay 10 cedis, and it took several minutes of pleading for the officer to accept 5 cedis.
On our return from the Republic of Togo, we caught up with a Ghanaian woman busily negotiating a bribe with a Togolese official.
The trader later told us how such minor inconveniences at the border take a toll on their business.
“They disturb us, even when you walk empty-handed, they’ll ask you for your documents when you don’t have them, they will ask you to pay 500 CFA or 5 Ghana cedis. Meanwhile, the exchange rate is not favouring us, the Porters charge us so much to carry our goods across the border but they always charge us. I am walking through the border empty-handed, but they are still asking me to pay 5 cedis. When I said I did not have that much, he held me up until I gave him 1 cedi. If I move a little further ahead, I could be charged again. Meanwhile, the market is not favouring us. That’s how the border is for us now. I buy panties from Togo to sell in Ghana,” she added
The traders are thus asking Ghanaian authorities to intervene and ensure that business activities at the border are less costly and convenient.
Even though the Ghanaian officials on the Aflao border will not speak on the record, they encouraged Ghanaian business persons to endeavour to carry with them all the requisite travel documents before crossing the border, since the absence of such documents become the basis for the extortion.
