President of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA), Dr Joseph Obeng, has called on the committee for retail trade to expedite processes in resolving challenges with foreign traders by implementing instituted laws.
Describing the retail feud with foreign traders as unfair to local traders, he noted that the Association is willing to deliberate on the matter and optimistic about the outcome of the meeting with the committee.
“I think the earlier the foreign committee starts working, the better. Because, as you can see, what happened at Koforidua, Ashaiman, Tema [and] everywhere; people’s patience cannot be controlled again. So, we will plead with the committee of foreign retail trade to go back to its roadmap and start working. As they have promised to meet us on Wednesday,[S we are prepared and eager to meet with them. But this time round, we want them to start working in earnest because there is a law; the law should work, it’s as simple as that”.
Dr Joseph Obeng
Highlighting on the leeway given the foreign traders, Dr Obeng noted that the Association has sought to give them “concession”. Nonetheless, in their bid to help, he explained that their concession has been “rejected” by the foreign traders.
“And the people cannot wait because our markets are being taken over, it’s as simple as that. I don’t think our people will have the patience again to wait forever for this clause to be enforced. Nobody is going to allow that”.
Dr Joseph Obeng
Closure of shops at Opera Square
Touching on the closure of shops of some foreign retailers at the Opera Square in Accra today, September 23, 2021, Dr Obeng, revealed that it is an outpour of their displeasure of the apparent disregard of laid down rule by the foreign traders. However, he could not give a ballpark figure of the number of shops closed by local traders.
Similarly, the GUTA President revealed that members have been “very civil on our demands”. By virtue of that, they will not resort to violence as recorded in “countries which beat, kill people [and] burn down shops”.
“… this closure is scattered in different areas. So, I don’t know the number of shops. I can’t put a figure on it. But then it also shows that nobody is going to wait because it is the law [and] the law should work. Once the laws are working on other areas, when we are faulted on tax payments and other things… it should be the thing that protects us, shouldn’t be enforced. It’s not fair to the trading community. The people have come to that realisation that if care is not taken, it will take forever before this law will be enforced. And that is [why] they’re doing this.
“These things have happened elsewhere but we’ve been fighting this over twenty years and we haven’t heard such a thing. So, we are civil on our demands and we make sure that we control our people. And that’s what we have been doing”.
Dr Joseph Obeng
Resolution of retail feud by committee
In concluding, Dr Obeng expressed “a great deal of confidence” in the trade committee to do their job. He revealed that the committee were well on their way to resolving the matter until the intervention of the Nigerian government came calling for “mercy”.
“Until then, government has talked to us to have some patience and give some concessions, we’ve done exactly that. Our brothers are not accepting that. Producing common document for the committee to scrutinize it, you say you cannot abide. And the people of Ghana cannot accept this. Because we cannot travel to other countries and do things on our term.
“Wednesday is a joint committee that is represented by Nigeria and Ghana. So, I think they’re going to see whether these people are still bent or not in complying with the terms of the dispensation that government has given”.
Dr Joseph Obeng
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