President John Dramani Mahama has revealed that Ghana continues to enjoy good relations with the United States, despite recent challenges in trade and immigration.
According to the President, U.S. authorities had increased tariffs on Ghanaian goods from 10% to 15% and restricted visas for Ghanaians to single-entry permits valid for only three months.
He explained that while these measures created difficulties, they had not weakened the long-standing partnership between the two countries.
President Mahama revealed that Washington had also pressed Ghana to accept third-party nationals being deported from the U.S.
He noted that Ghana agreed to take in West African nationals under the arrangement, since they already enjoyed visa-free entry into the country under ECOWAS protocols.
He noted that some Nigerians who arrived through this scheme opted to return home and government facilitated their transport.
A Gambian deportee, he added, was still being processed through his country’s embassy for repatriation.
The President emphasised that under ECOWAS rules, all West Africans have the right to stay in Ghana for up to 90 days without a visa, and government saw no problem in upholding that commitment.
By: Jacob Aggrey
