GUTA Threatens Gov’t

Leadership of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) have given government a one-week ultimatum to evict foreign nationals engaged in retail trade in Ghana’s market centres warning that the government’s failure to act will result in the execution of the planned action.

According to the association, the government’s inability to find a lasting solution to the issue of foreigners invading the country’s retail market and the closure of the Benin-Nigeria border will do them more harm than good.

At a press conference, the leadership of the Association said they are at their wit’s end and will no longer sit unconcerned for their jobs to be taken away from them.

“Laws are made primarily to ensure orderliness, peace and security. Failure to enforce law results to the contrary. So the failure to protect the constitution and sovereign laws of Ghana by the very people who have sworn to protect the country, in itself, is a recipe for insecurity.

“In view of this, we hereby issue ultimatum of one week to the government, to ensure that all state institutions responsible for the enforcement of our laws on retail trade by foreigners in the country are implemented to the letter as it is done in all sovereign states to bring peace and its attendant security.”

Tensions have in recent time manifested in local traders locking up shops of foreign traders among other clashes as GUTA pushes for the enforcement of Ghana’s laws that prohibit foreigners from engaging in retail trade.

But the government has shied away from enforcing the law, opting instead for diplomacy in handling the resulting tensions.

According to GUTA, the invasion of foreigners in the retail business has led to the collapse of their businesses.

They say that the government has not fulfilled its promise of ridding the market of such traders despite several appeals. The activities of the foreigners they say breach the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre’s Act (Act 865).