GUTA Cautions Ghanaians against Attacking Foreign Traders

The Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) has urged its members to refrain from using violence in their quest for a Ghanaian-dominated retail market.

The Deputy General Secretary of the Association, Mr Emmanuel Nana Opoku Acheampong, in an exclusive interview with THE PUBLISHER, entreated all distressed Ghanaian traders to be patient and trust leadership of the association to work in their favor.

He added that GUTA was committed to ensuring that Ghanaian traders are unfettered from the menace of foreign retailers.

“We are telling the traders that, anywhere that a foreign retailer is disturbing them, they should let us know so that we work with statutory authorities to ensure that Ghanaians can work with peace of mind,” he stated.

Mr. Agyemang, who also doubles as the Greater Accra Regional Secretary of GUTA, revealed that the Association on Monday met with the President, His Excellency Nana Akufo-Addo, over the presence of foreign retailers in the country, adding that the President had advised that the traders use no form of violence or unlawful acts in dealing with the issue.

He emphasized that even though the President was on the side of Ghanaian traders, he stressed that members of the association should use the remits of the law in dealing with the matter.

According to him, the committee created to ensure that the GIPC Law 2013, (Act 865) is adhered to, had been reinstated and was very functional.

Commenting on the recent suspension of the deadline for the evacuation of foreign retailers by the Ministry of Trade, GUTA is of the position that, the statement put out by the Deputy Minister, Mr Carlos Kingsley Ahenkora did not in any way show that the committee set up to that effect had been collapsed.

Mr Opoku Agyemang also reiterated that his outfit had great confidence in the government and not just the Ministry of Trade.

By: Brenda Osei Karikari