We Stand With GUTA

The Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) Act 108 clearly bars foreigners from engaging in the retail business yet there are several thousands of foreigners engaged in brisk retail business not only in Accra, the country’s capital city but in almost all the regional capitals.

As to why this continues to happen in the full glare of law enforcement officers and state agencies tasked by law to prevent such illegalities, THE PUBLISHER cannot tell.

As best we can only speculate that there are some persons at the GIPC that either do not respect the law, or are in a dirty connivance with those lawless foreigners for their selfish individual gains.

A good number of foreigners engaged in retail business do not even have Ghanaian workers up to five, yet they operate freely and fully to the disadvantage of Ghanaian traders involved in the retail trade.

Someone up there in authority certainly ought to be held responsible for this continuous anomaly.

It is wrong. It is not lawful. It is vexatious. It is provocative. It is a recipe for chaos. It can lead to an onslaught of such foreigners. Perhaps, that is the type of nasty situation government is waiting for before it acts to protect Ghanaian traders.

Out of frustration, the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) in the Ashanti region has been compelled to hold yet another press conference to raise red flags over the situation.

How does government expect Ghanaians in retain trade to compete fairly with their foreign counterparts?

Why then is government watching unconcerned for the illegal nonsense to continue?

How does government expect Ghanaian traders to take care of their families and put food on tables in their respective homes?

How come successive governments have shown very little or absolutely no interest in tackling this challenge?

Not long ago, GUTA, in the Greater Accra region, expressed same sentiments and even threatened to instruct its members to cease filing their tax returns effective October 31, if government fails to stop foreigners from engaging in petty trading which is solely the reserve of Ghanaians.

We add our voice to the concerns raided by GUTA and call on the GIPC, Ministry of Trade, Ministry of Finance, the Ghana Revenue Authority and all relevant state agencies to be up and doing. It is not for fun that they are paid by the tax payer.

GUTA is not asking for favour from government, the Association is asking for a legitimate entitlement which is backed by law.

It is when laws are flouted with glee and goes with no punishment that law abiding citizens get tempted to become lawless.

It is another sad case.

Source: thePublisher