Government to implement digital technologies as a solution to enhance border surveillance and prevent smuggling- President Mahama

President of the Republic of Ghana H.E John Dramani Mahama has announced the government’s effort to implement Digital Technologies as a solution to enhance border surveillance and prevent smuggling.

Speaking at the Jubilee House today during the multi-sectoral engagement on  the implementation of the 24-hour economy policy earlier today emphasized the importance of addressing the issue raised by Guinness Ghana, highlighting the need to increase productivity.

President Mahama pointed out the challenge of porous borders and the smuggling of goods from neighbouring countries, which undermines productivity efforts.

“I think that the issue raised by Guinness Ghana is important because we can increase productivity, but if we have porous borders and people keep smuggling in, you know, goods from our neighbouring countries, it will make nonsense of what is happening. So the 24 hour Secretariat takes cognition of that, and so it will include how we survey our borders. Even though the borders are porous, they are now, digital technologies for maintaining border surveillance and being able to stop smuggling.” President Mahama.

President Mahama mentioned the need to elevate border surveillance to a higher level to combat smuggling effectively.

“So we need to move our border surveillance to the next level, and so we take recognition of that a lot of people root their goods to our neighbouring ports in our neighbouring country of loading to warehouses there, and then they smuggle in care truck by care truck by care truck by care truck.” He added.

He explains how smuggling goods through neighbouring ports and warehouses affects local productivity.

He stresses the importance of tightening border controls to prevent smuggling and ensure productivity is not compromised. He discussed the role of the 24-hour economic policy in addressing these issues.

President Mahama highlighted the need for comprehensive surveillance to prevent the influx of smuggled goods.

“And so we need to tighten that, because then it makes nonsense of the productivity of our own people, and so you can be sure that it’s something that we will zoom in on with regards to the 24 hour economic policy.” President Mahama explained.