Navrongo, April 25, GNA - Ghana and Burkina Faso on Tuesday jointly launched a Sub Regional Trade Week with a call on governments of the two countries to relax laws on trade and remove barriers and other impediments along travel routes between the two countries. This would facilitate movement of goods and people, improve trade and make the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Treaty beneficent to the sub region.

Mr David Bakari, Upper East Regional Coordinating Director, together with Mr Jamano Lompo of the Ministry of Regional Integration in Burkina Faso, launched the week at Navrongo.

The week is meant to raise awareness of the ECOWAS Protocol on free movement of goods, people and services, identify and challenge the obstacles impeding trade between Ghana and Burkina Faso and to strengthen collaboration among governments, civil societies, producer organisations of both countries to exert efforts in implementing the ECOWAS Protocol on regional integration.

Mr Bakari said even though it was not possible for the government of Ghana to grant farmers subsidies like their counterparts in Burkina Faso, production systems in the country would be improved to reduce cost of production and make Ghanaian produce competitive with products of its neighbours.

He said integration would promote trade in cereals, salt, yam and wood from Ghana to Burkina Faso and also enable Ghana to benefit from animals and vegetable products from its neighbour.

He cautioned against smuggling of petroleum products, and unaccustomed goods, saying it undermined the economy. Mr Lompo called for positive political will between the two countries, saying that could easily promote trade between the two countries.

He said Burkina Faso had placed much importance on the sub regional integration as that was key to achieving not only efficient business among countries in the sub region but also peace. The Sub-Regional Trade Week was organised by Oxfam, a British NGO, the Integrated Social Development Centre (ISODEC), ORCADE, an NGO in Burkina Faso.