BORDERLESS ALLIANCE PRIVATE SECTOR ROLE IN COORDINATED BORDER - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

BORDERLESS ALLIANCE

PRIVATE SECTOR ROLE IN COORDINATED BORDER MANAGEMENT 17th SEPTEMBER 2019

Afua Eshun – Borderless Alliance

• 15 Member States
• 362 million people
• $623b Nominal GDP
• 8 Different currencies
• 2 RECs: ECOWAS & UEMOA
• 3 Official languages: English,

French and Portuguese

ECOWAS Region in Brief West Africa has huge market potential

Doing Business in West Africa is Very Costly

• Long delays at ports and borders
• Non-recognition of documents or

certificates beyond national borders

• Harassement along transit corridors,

mainly from uniformed services

• Cumbersome Procedures
• Corruption at various stages of the

transport corridors including borders

Impact on Trade and Transport in West Africa

• Lack of predictability of time or cost, especially for transit cargo
• Non application of texts/directives of the two RECs (CEDEAO &

UEMOA) on the principle of free movement of goods and people, ETLS, etc.

• Low level of economic integration within the region: intra-

regional trade levels in Europe 71%, Asia 53%, South America 48%, ECOWAS 10% (Other African RECs between 3.5% & 20.5%)

Source : ALCO Report Unpredictability in Border Crossing Times

+

• Suspension of Physical

Examination - (New Scanner – Seme)

• Commissioning of JBP

KEY ISSUES NOTED ( ALCO)

_

• Quality of Internet

Connection

• Process Changes
• Power Cuts

THE QUESTION : HOW CAN THE PRIVATE SECTOR CONTRIBUTE TO COORDINATED BORDER MANAGEMENT ? WHAT WE DO AS BORDERLESS ALLIANCE

• Borderless was launched as a brand for the USAID/West Africa Trade Hub’s

Transport and Road Governance work in March 2010

• Later evolved into a private sector-led advocacy group; in May 2011, the

Borderless Alliance was born. The alliance was formally launched in May 2012

• Headed in Accra, Ghana, with more than 100 members from all across West

Africa (Port Authorities, Finance Institutions, Transport Companies, Manufacturers, Producers etc.)

Simple Mechanism of Action

• Evaluate situation by look at evidence base (technical reports, observations in

the field)

• Identify problem and suggest a line of action
• Initiate action (high-level advocacy meeting, technical workshop, capacity-

building activity, public-private dialogue…)

• Follow up on impact of initiated action

Broad Range of Activities – General

• Information Dissemination on Trade and Transport
• Capacity Building (Training Workshops, Seminars) on CET, ETLS, TFA &

more

• Advocacy activity (Position Papers, High-Level Meetings, Public/Private

Dialogue Sessions, Road Shows, Caravans, Awareness Campaigns)

• Piloting of the Online Complaint Portal for Addressing Non-Tariff Barriers

to Trade in West Africa (eNTB Portal)

• Border Information Centers at selected borders in the region

Information Dissemination

TIMELINE

1. Ghana/Togo (August‘11) 2.

• B. Faso/Ghana

(September’12) 3. Benin/Nigeria (December‘12) 4. Dakar Port (March‘13) 5. Ghana/Cote d’Ivoire (May‘13) 6. Senegal/Mali (2016) 7. Cote d’Ivoire/

• B. Faso (2016)

Support at the Border Crossings

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Specific Intervention at Borders

• Support for Traders and Economic Operators at the Borders; the Border

Information Centers (BICs)

• Information Dissemination
• Technical Support to Cross Border Traders
• Training and Capacity building of Stakeholders
• Joint/Bilateral Meetings with border communities

JOINT BILATERAL MEETINGS

 Elubo / Noe (Ghana/Cote d’Ivoire border)  Niangoloko / Ouangolodougou (Burkina/Cote d’Ivoire border)  Pogo / Zegoua (Cote d’Ivoire Mali border)  Seme / Krake (Benin/Nigeria border)

Context : WTO TFA Article 8 - Cooperation and Coordination between Border Agencies :

• alignment of working days and hours;
• alignment of procedures and formalities;
• development and sharing of common facilities;
• joint controls;
• establishment of one stop border post control

Outcomes ?

• Action plans,
• Resolutions,
• Improved Engagement,
• Etc.

Summary: the Borderless Alliance Proposal

• Helping reduce cost and time of doing business across West Africa
• Enhancing cross-border trade, without compromising to security
• Building a win-win partnership between government agencies, decision

makers, thought leaders, strategic partners and private enterprises

• Creating networking and business opportunities for members
• Promoting regional economic integration and the free movement of

goods and people, to the benefit of all

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