8 May, 2008

Abu-Bakarr S Tarawally

Ban on Cross Country Trade is Abysmal

Inter-trade enhances exchange of commodities and income. The fact that African economies are static, calls for an exchange of common goods trade within neighboring countries.

The inter-trade has been of importance over the years following the days of the conflict in Sierra Leone. Neighboring Guinea flooded in their businesses, especially our staple food, and that helped salvage our food crisis due to an embargo.  The ECOWAS trade bilateral links proposition has focused on trade liberalism, and the promotion of trade growth among other relevancies in the sub-region.

Having the merits of such trade, which is culminating to elasticity of supply, it eases the problem of shortage in supply of commodities. But there is one problem connoting the non flow of business, which is the marketing system.

For instance, the common border laws and control of business flow criterion, has an effect basing on restriction on the sale of certain commodities. The ban on timber, palm oil and rice sales to neighboring countries by the Government is critical to the point that the bilateral trade treaty is crumbling. It has long existed the inter dependency system within the Mano River Union (MRU) countries and by what means that the interdependency chain is broken could tell an adverse effect on the country.

It is an assumption that supposing Guinea and Liberia followed our initiative and ban their product sale in Sierra Leone, knowing the country’s lack of enough produce, we could not withstand it.

For instance, prices of different products vary in different countries. It has been that when our traders went on sales for their imported goods that they buy other products in other countries and brought them home. It is the difference in prices that’s always influenced variation, and multiple choices foster the run of business.

On the other hand flow of business helps to boost the Government revenue somewhat.

These are impediments to the growth of the country’s economy.

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