The President of the Aburi Craft Village, Nana Krobea Asante, has appealed to the Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA) to advocate for the removal of non-tariff barriers affecting their export business.

He mentioned police harassment in the transportation of logs from the forest, extortion at the ports of exit by regulatory and supervisory agencies and other shipment challenges as some of the barriers the artisans endured in their bid to promote crafts for export.

Nana Krobea Asante made the appeal when the GSA visited the Aburi Craft Village as part of its outreach to the Eastern Region to engage exporters and importers on their business concerns.

In response the Tema Branch Manager of the GSA, Mrs Monica Josiah, assured the handicraft exporters of making their concerns known to the Police Service and other agencies for redress.

She said the GSA would liaise with the Ghana Revenue Authority, Customs Division, and other agencies to organise a seminar to sensitise personnel on export requirements and procedures.

The Municipal Chief Executive of Akwapim South, Mr. Frank Aidoo, appealed to the GSA to partner the Assembly to procure power tools to assist the artisans in polishing and refining their handicrafts.

The team and the MCE also visited the Golden Riverside Farms, growers and exporters of pineapples.

Mr. Solomon Wiafe, the Chief Executive Officer of the Farms, thanked the GSA for the visit and called for a solution to the company’s shipment challenges.