Ouagadougou, May 26, GNA - Vice President John Dramani Mahama on Wednesday paid a surprise visit to a number of Ghanaian-owned companies in the Burkinabe capital, Ouagadougou. The visit was to enable the Vice President learn at first hand the challenges facing Ghanaian businesses in that country and how government could help remove the bottlenecks.

At the Allship Logistics Limited (ALL), owned by Mr Robert Kingsfort Kutin, Vice President Mahama expressed delight about the clean safety record of the company despite the huge freight they cart to Burkina Faso on daily basis.

He said ALL's road safety record must be emulated by other Ghanaian-owned companies to reduce the carnage on the highways. Vice President Mahama spoke about the proposed rail link between Kumasi in Ghana and Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso to enhance trade links between the two countries and asked the management of ALL to buy into the plan.

The rail system, Vice President said, would help increase the bulk of freight between Ghana and her land locked neighbour to the mutual benefit of the two countries.

He was happy that ALL had taken a strong lead in looking outside of Ghana to do business so as to help expand her industrial base. Mr Pierre Catois, Burkinabe Country Manager of ALL, who was visibly elated about the genuine concern the Vice President had shown in Ghanaian businesses outside the country, asked him to maintain that enthusiasm.

He said ALL, with branches in Accra, Tema, Takoradi, Tarkwa and Paga, had developed a successful synergy between freight forwarding and logistics in the two countries where it mainly operates. With a turnover of 70 billion old Ghana cedis, the ALL Group provides services for min ing firms, heavy industrialized companies and government organizations.

Mr Catois said although the company had a fleet of 96 trucks and similar heavy equipment, it had not recorded any accident since it commenced operations on the Accra-Ouagadougou route. This, he explained, was due to the company's commitment to satisfy the needs of clients and also meet the expectations of workers to remain profitable.

Vice President Mahama also visited the four-star Joly Hotel owned by Mr Abdulai Mohammed, a Ghanaian construction magnet currently operating in that country.

Mr Omane Tawiah, Commercial Manager, who took the Vice President round, said the hotel had 57 rooms with nine suites but he was hopeful that 20 more rooms would be added by the end of the year. In addition to the rooms, the hotel also has a 100-seat conference room. At the time of the visit, the Burkinabe senior national team was resident at the hotel in preparation for a crucial national assignment on Saturday.

Vice President Mahama asked the management of Joly to consider replicating its Burkinabe flavour in the Ghanaian hospitality industry. The Vice President, who was accompanied by his Secretary, Mr Roger Angsomwine and Ghana's Acting Head of Mission, Mr Alfred Saame, also visited the Burkinabe Ambassadorial enclave. The enclave was designed by the Burkinabe government to be a hub of diplomatic missions.

Ghana is yet to develop its land offered free by the government of that country.