The
Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) is planning a mammoth
demonstration against government in three months, if it fails to enforce
laws governing retail trade.
President
of the Association, Dr Joseph Obeng, at a press conference held at the
Central Business District (Opera Square) said, if government does not do
as expected and the time comes for the demonstration, his members will
not be stopped.
“We are going to declare the destiny day demonstration in three months, where all other laws will not be regarded if our pleas are not being noticed,” he said to the delight of the traders.
The Ghanaian traders have been at the throat of their foreign counterparts, especially Nigerians, who they accuse of flouting the laws of Ghana.
Most recently, members of the Ghana Electrical Dealers Association, locked up foreign-owned shops operating within the Opera Square.
The retailers took this action in a bid to get the government to enforce the law that reserves retail trade for locals.
An executive of the Ghana Electrical Dealers Association, Kofi Amanfo Ofori, said their actions were just to enforce the law.
“We are telling foreigners to leave
our market. We are not telling them to leave the country. They can do
wholesale but not retailing.”
According to Section 27 (1) of the GIPC Act, 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.
Most recently, members of the Ghana Electrical Dealers Association, locked up foreign-owned shops operating within the Opera Square.
The retailers took this action in a bid to get the government to enforce the law that reserves retail trade for locals.
An executive of the Ghana Electrical Dealers Association, Kofi Amanfo Ofori, said their actions were just to enforce the law.
“We are telling foreigners to leave
our market. We are not telling them to leave the country. They can do
wholesale but not retailing.”
According to Section 27 (1) of the GIPC Act, 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.
The GUTA President said had these laws been enforced, foreigners will not flout them as blatantly as they have.
“We don’t want any situation to be blamed on GUTA or the trading community. If anything happens it should be blamed on the state institutions that are mandated to carry out their duties.
“The
foreigners who are flouting the laws are taking advantage of a country
that is “so weak, timid in enforcing its laws. It is so disappointing,”
he lamented,
