Minister of Trade and Industry, Alan Kyeremanten, has tasked the retail committee set up by government to address the grievances of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) and closure of shops of foreign traders to the retail committee.
According to him, the government does not want traders to shut down these shops belonging to foreigners who continue to violate Ghana’s trade laws but rather leave them to the hands of the committee.
The Minister made this appeal during the inauguration of the Central regional branch of the Ghana Union Traders Association in cape coast.
In a speech read on his behalf by the technical advisor on Domestic Trade, Ntim Donkoh, Mr. Kyeremanten highlighted on how the African Continental Free Trade Area(AfCFTA) was going to help boost businesses in Ghana in January when it kick starts.
“GUTA’s outcry that foreigners are taking over trading activities reserved for Ghanaian traders has come to government’s attention. The committee on foreigners in retail trade (CFRT) set up by the ministry as directed by His Excellency the president comprising representatives of various regulatory agencies and institutions has been tasked with the responsibility of conducting inspections of retail shops in designated commercial districts in various cities and towns to ensure compliance with the retail laws and regulations”.
He further cautioned the association to cease from locking the shops of these foreign traders as the retail committee will work within the remit of the law to execute their mandate.
GUTA president, Dr. Joseph Obeng, on his part, called for peace from the political players in the upcoming election so the business environment in Ghana could be secured.
“It should be noted that, businesses are the worst affected in the event of any civil unrest that may destabilize the country. We should recognize the fact that, all citizens of Ghana have equal stake as far as the country is concerned”.
The Regional Chairman of GUTA, Kofi McCarthy, also pleaded for support for traders to enable them stay in business.
“To make Ghana competitive not only in the south region but also in the upcoming AfCFTA, so that we can take advantage of the opportunity that the continental free trade agreement will offer to enable us develop and realize our vision”.
Earlier last year, after Nigeria closed its frontiers to stop the smuggling of products from neighboring West African states into the country, the Ghana Union of Traders, GUTA, also asked authorities to strictly enforce Ghana’s laws banning foreigners from engaging in retail trade.
They attributed the collapse of the businesses of some of their members to the invasion of foreigners especially Nigerians, in the retail sub-sector.
According to them, the activities of the foreigners breach the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre’s Act (Act 865).
Per Section 27 of the GIPC Act 865, “A person who is not a citizen or an enterprise which is not wholly owned by a citizen, shall not invest or participate in the sale of goods or provision of services in a market, petty trading or hawking or selling of goods in a stall at any place”.
Members of the union revealed that government had not fulfilled its promise of ridding the market of such traders despite several appeals.
GUTA consequently locked up over 600 foreign-owned shops in Accra and Kumasi belonging to the foreigners.
President Akufo-Addo in a meeting with the leadership of GUTA on Tuesday, 3rd December 2019, stated that “undoubtedly, the law favours GUTA’s position” but, urged the leadership and membership of GUTA not to take the law into their own hands in dealing with the foreign traders.
