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Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has announced government’s decision to commence the construction of a railway line between Ghana and Burkina Faso next year.

He said, “In the area of trade, our two countries have been colonially divided by artificial borders but the railway line will bring us very close.”

He said “it will make the cost of transport between our two countries much lower, and it will encourage exchange of goods and people between our two countries.”

This was when the Burkinabe Minister of Transport, Urban Mobility and Road Safety, Suleman Sumaila, paid a courtesy call on him at the Flagstaff House.

He was accompanied by his Ghanaian counterpart, Joe Ghartey, the Minister for Railway Development.

The Vice President indicated that “we are committed to it, the President is very clear. He wants us to move quickly, the instruction for us is to start this railway line next year 2018. We have to break the ground to start the construction of this railway line…let’s do it quickly.”

“I can promise you on our side, we are going to work very hard and I’m sure your visit here also shows that from your side you are going to work very hard and together we can agree on a common contract quickly, we can move this process forward,” he emphasized.

It was a follow up to President Akufo-Addo’s visit to Burkina Faso, during which he and his Burkinabe counterpart, Roch Marc Christian Kabore, agreed on the construction of a railway line to facilitate trade between the two countries from Accra to Ougadougou.

When completed, Mr Ghartey said, the railway line would improve the economies of both countries.

The Burkinabe government is said to have settled on some potential investors, who have expressed interest in the deal.

It is for this reason that the ministers responsible for the deal, invited experts, made up of lawyers, financial advisers and other relevant agencies, to study the proposal in Ghana to make recommendations to the governments of the two countries.

The committee is expected to meet every two weeks until a final decision agreement is reached.

The Ministers have resolved to send their reports to their respective presidents in three months’ time.

They are considering selecting a common contractor for the project which is expected to commence next year.

Mr Ghartey said three companies have expressed interest in the project and hinted of a Build Operate Transfer (BOT) agreement with no sovereign guarantee.

“We are convinced it’s a bankable project that can pay for itself.”

On his part, the Transport of Minister for Burkina Faso, called for rapid execution of the project owing to the level of trade between the two countries.

“Burkinabes clear their goods at the Tema and Takoradi Ports while several articulated trucks travel from Ghana to Burkina Faso each day.”

He was of the belief that the construction of the railway line would bring relief to citizens of the two countries.