Cross-border traders have continued to groan under the high cost of moving goods through the Lagos-Abidjan corridor, which they say, is hurting regional trade.

A document obtained by The Guardian from the aggrieved traders revealed that the transit levy from Nigeria through Benin Republic to coastal and landlocked countries are too high for traders to bear.

The levies they listed include road maintenance levy (0.85% Cost Insurance and Freight (CIF), statistics levy (7.28% CIF), corridor security levy (0.50% CIF), Customs bond (0.25% CIF), Customs stamp (4% Stat), tracking (75,000 per truck).

In Ghana, other levies include; administrative fee ($200 per truck), tracking device (50,000CFA), transit bond (30,000CFA), processing fee (50,000CFA-100,000CFA), among others.

A key stakeholder, and officer of the West African Road Transport Union (WARTU), Salami Alasoadura said the corridor is also lacking necessary infrastructure such as weighbridges and scanners.

He said there is a lack of trade information for the traders in the areas for national policy, local policy and international policy, thereby making trading across the region an herculean task.

He also bemoaned the non-harmonization of trade policy among the countries, such that Nigeria Value Added Tax (VAT) is 7.5%, Niger Republic charges 19%, other French speaking countries 18%, while Ghana is 15%. He also pointed out lack of collaboration among Customs Lagos-Abidjan corridor including non sharing of security information among government agencies. (The Guardian)