GHANA: CATTLE DEALERS STAND UP TO POLICE AND CEPS

GHANA: CATTLE DEALERS STAND UP TO POLICE AND CEPS …Over too many barriers and sky-high charges on the road

Edward Adeti’s Report, Bolga, Upper East

Hundreds of angry cattle dealers in the Upper East Region have turned out in a street demonstration against some alleged activities of the Ghana Police Service (GPS) and the Custom Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) which, according to them, are crumbling their business.

The demonstration which dragged through the main streets of Bolgatanga, the regional capital, amid a heavy security company in the morning hours of Friday ended with a presentation of a strongly worded petition at the forecourt of the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) premises.

Protest songs filled the warm air and an assembly of placards waved over a sea of unstable heads as the ground shivered under the feet of sweat-bathed agitators. Although it was not the first time such an angry crowd would besiege the RCC block, busy staff who apparently had not seen such a sight in a very long time and probably were not informed beforehand of the coming of the irate “cow boys” trembled out of their offices to guarantee their own safety first.

Some of the placards read: “Cattle are not cocaine, Police and CEPS”; “If charges are legal, why no receipts?”; “Deplorable cattle business environment is due to activities of Police and CEPS”; “Over 5000 people depend on cattle business, why want to destroy it, Police and CEPS?”; “A one-stop payment system is the best opportunity to increase government revenue” and “Protect our business, dear government. Our families and livelihoods are at stake.”

The Upper East Regional Minister, Mark Owen Woyongo (who was the target of the demonstrators), was out of the region when the crowd surrounded his office; but his deputy, Lucy Awuni, was on hand to receive them with some top officials of the Council. Presenting the petition whilst some curious individuals among the RCC staff peeped down from the storey building, Mr. Adabre Ayambire, Financial Secretary to the Bolgatanga Cattle Dealers Association (BOCADA), said the number of security barriers on the road and how much they charged were more than necessary.

“A recent research conducted between July and September this year by our members with support from the BUSAC Fund revealed that there are 36 Police and CEPS barriers between Paga and Kumasi, 23 of which are Police barriers, 7 are MTTU and 6 CEPS. Out of these 36 barriers, 23 are within the Upper East and Northern Regions. It is, however, sad to note that all these barriers take between Gh¢10.00 and Gh¢30.00 from our members when transporting cattle to the southern part of Ghana which serves as major cattle markets,” he lamented.

According to the research findings, the barriers in the Upper East and Northern Regions take more money (Gh¢30.00) than the few barriers in the south. Enumerating the effects of the practice on their business, the statement said: “It inhibits business growth by reducing income; it discourages making more trips and sales as it delays movement; it promotes bribery, cheating and corruption as there are no fixed charges, no official receipts and no specific barriers; it leads to death of animals on the way and expensive sales of animals due to delays and government also loses revenue due to lack of proper documentation and accountability systems in place.”

The statement entreated the Regional Minister to help save the cattle trade by facilitating the process of introducing a one-stop payment system in which charges would be made at once and the receipt being reproduced at each security checkpoint for verification. It expressed the interest of members of the association in participating in determining the taxes and levies imposed on their business. This, it said, would help ensure convenience and compliance.  

The Deputy Upper East Regional Minister congratulated members of the association for their peaceful demonstration with a promise that the petition would be forwarded to the Regional Minister for assessment. In the intervening time, she urged the cattle dealers not to create any loophole for security officers at the barriers to find fault with them by simply doing the right thing. Mrs. Awuni notified them of an impending stakeholders’ forum on cattle transportation and assured them that the forum would significantly help lay to rest the irregularities revealed by their findings.

In a related development, the association organised a press conference hours later in Bolgatanga where the Financial Secretary told newsmen that the business had employed over 5000 people, mostly men in the region. The association suggested, among other things, that a massive education campaign about the role of the CEPS, Police and the MTTU officials on the road as well as the importance of individuals’ tax obligation be carried out. This, Mr. Ayambire noted in a position paper, would improve public knowledge about the responsibility of the security officials and help reduce the misconception by the public about the security officials on the road.

The position paper also recommended adoption of a participatory approach by the CEPS, Police and MTTU in determining the tax rate for cattle dealers so as to ensure convenience and compliance at the barriers.

“Cattle dealers should avoid under-invoicing and bribing their way through but rather ensure they acquire all necessary documentations. They and other livestock dealers should strengthen their association so as to ensure their members acquire all necessary documents before embarking on a journey and protect their members from being cheated or harassed. Efforts should be made geared towards improving animal market facilities across the country,” it stressed.