Leadership of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA), in the Ashanti Region, has accused the foreign retailers of engaging the services of able-bodied men to forcibly re-open their shops after they were closed.
GUTA continues its threats to shut down shops belonging to foreign traders at the Suame magazine enclave in demand for the enforcement of the law that bars foreigners from engaging in retail trade in Ghana.
Most of the foreign retailers, who are predominantly Nigerians, reopened their locked up shops after an intervention by the Ashanti Regional Command for them to return to business.
“The foreign shops owners rented ‘macho men’ to help the rebuttal [sic] what we are doing. We saw that and even called in the police. This means that they want to create more problems than what we are seeing. But very soon, we will continue to close their shops again.”
GUTA has on several occasions complained about what they say is the collapse of their businesses due to the invasion of foreigners in the retail business.
They say that the government has not fulfilled its promise of ridding the market of such traders despite several appeals.
According to them, the activities of the foreigners breach the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre’s Act (Act 865).
Sue gov’t over foreigners’ involvement in retail business – GUTA advised
A private legal practitioner and former Vice Chairman of the Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC), Kwame Jantuah has called on GUTA, to sue government over the non-enforcement of laws that bar foreigners from operating in Ghana’s retail space.
According to him, GUTA must ensure that a court rules in its favour to force the government to ensure that only Ghanaians are made to operate in the country’s retail space.
Kwame Jantuah said GUTA will have the right basis to take action if the government fails to enforce the law.
“GUTA should take the government to court [over non-enforcement of the law] and get the court to rule. Once the court rules, they have all the powers whatsoever to take action. So if the court is the way forward, I will plead with GUTA to take the government to court,” Kwame Jantuah said.
GUTA has even dared the foreign traders whose retail shops have been closed to sue them if they feel they are being treated unfairly.
When questioned by Citi News whether their move to close down such shops was legal, the Ashanti Regional Secretary of the Association, Daniel Owoahene Acheampong responded that the foreigners can decide to sue them if they ‘think what we are doing is not right”.
The post Kumasi: GUTA accuses foreign traders of using ‘macho men’ to counter shop closure appeared first on Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana, Current Affairs, Business News , Headlines, Ghana Sports, Entertainment, Politics, Articles, Opinions, Viral Content.
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