The Abossey Okai Spare Parts Dealers Association says its members are still restricted by trade barriers following a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic in countries where they ply their trade.

Co-chairman of the association, Clement Boateng explains that the pandemic and its associated restrictions imposed on travel has negatively impacted their businesses along with a scarcity of goods.

Speaking in an interview with GhanaWeb on October 13, 2020, Mr. Boateng said though Ghana’s air borders have been reopened, trade consolidation among its members is being experienced on a rather gradual scale.

“Though some borders have been reopened, some countries where we conduct trade consolidation still have placed some restrictions on travel with most of them being cautious of a second wave of the pandemic. For now, we are trying to order goods through the internet and also do bank transfers to suppliers who make purchases on our behalf,” Boateng explained.

“Domestically, we are beginning to see a gradual scale up in trade consolidation but we have not returned back totally to how we used to trade and do business as before,” he added.

Meanwhile, an economist has admonished citizens to be circumspect in their expectations on Ghana’s economic recovery following the reopening of the air borders.

According to him, the easing of restrictions of Ghana’s air borders effective September 1, 2020 and its economic impact is however projected to be on a gradual scale.

Additionally, the traveling public entering Ghana will be required to pay an amount of US$150 for COVID-19 testing on arrival to the Kotoka International Airport (KIA). This comes after President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in his 16th address to the nation allowed for the resumption of Ghana’s air borders to international traffic indicating a path towards normalcy and economic revive.