GUTA Fights Re-Opening Of Foreign Retail Shops

The Ghana Union of Traders Association, GUTA, is demanding the immediate closure of all illegal foreign-owned retail shops that have been reopened for business at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra.

According to GUTA, most of the shops were only reopened by the presidential Committee on Foreign Retail Trade to inspect the documents of the owners.

A statement signed by GUTA President, Dr Joseph Obeng, stated that it was discovered that over 90% of the foreigners did not meet the requirements to operate in Ghana, following an inspection of their documents by the Committee on Foreign Retail Trade in the country.

The statement added that despite their illegibility to trade, these foreigners have blatantly refused to close their shops in accordance with the law.

“We, hereby, want the authorities and the general public to note that these recalcitrant foreigners have taken the laws of our country into their own hands with impunity, while the authorities look on unconcerned,” the statement read.

GUTA is thus asking government to close down these shops again to avoid a response from its members who are agitated over the development.

“GUTA has been quiet and cooperative all this time just to allow the Committee on Foreign Retail Trade to execute it’s mandate as directed by His Excellency the President of the Republic himself. GUTA welcomes all genuine foreigners who abide by the laws of our country. We also welcome our neighbors from the sb-region  (ECOWAS), who deal in goods manufactured in their respective countries. However, we wish to be categorical that we will not countenance anything in the contrary, and as a result, we demand the immediate closure of those shops to avoid any unfortunate situation, as tension is mounting on the matter” it warned.