Clampdown on corruption boosts trade

West African states have joined forces to reduce bribery and stimulate trade under the banner of “Borderless” – described as “a vision for competitive trade in West Africa. “What if a truck carrying rice from a port in Ghana could arrive in Burkina Faso in three days instead of nine? What if people crossing from Togo into Benin could do so in 10 minutes instead of one hour? What if an exporter could pay a trucking company just to cover the costs of labour and fuel to send a load of shea nuts to port – without adding US$250 to pay bribes at checkpoints along the way?” asks the association. A partnership formed in 2010 between public and private sectors, and facilitated by Publicis Ghana for the USAID West Africa Trade Hub, the Borderless movement has been adopted by governments in the region. Several have opened anticorruption hotlines, according to Borderless. In its latest In Transit newsletter, Borderless reports that Togo has “demonstrated that a radical change is possible when political will coincides with stakeholder mobilisation.” The closure of around 40 checkpoints across the country “has led to an almost complete elimination of bribes paid to gendarmes and a significant decrease in bribes paid to police. Delays have also fallen significantly. “Other countries have made similar pledges in the past, but the checkpoints have always returned. “The news from Togo seems different this time. It would be hugely important if other countries follow Togo’s lead,” Lilian Osei, manager of a trucking company in Ghana and a member of the Borderless Alliance’s executive committee said. Côte d’Ivoire is cited as “another example of political will in favour of the efficient movement of goods and vehicles”. But, it adds, “there is still much to do, particularly concerning bribery and unauthorised checkpoints”. According to the newsletter, Ghana has seen an increase in reported cases of bribery since 2010, with corruption in the police service being identified as the main problem. The introduction of a convoy system on the Dakar-Bamako corridor in 2010 has resulted in “chaotic” bottlenecks at the borders. Drivers have to wait until the last truck has been cleared before the convoy of up to 30 trucks can continue.