“We’ll Not Move Out Of Markets” – Foreign Retailers tell Gov’t

Foreign retailers at the Agbogbloshie market in Accra say they would not adhere to government’s directive requesting that they move out of the markets.

Their stand is not different from foreign retailers at Circle and the Accra business district…they have vowed to go against the Ministry of Trade’s directive.

The non-Ghanaian traders claim they contribute immensely to the country’s economy and should, as such, be allowed to ply their trade without any interference or discrimination.

Speaking to THE PUBLISHER, Osman, a Nigerian retailer, said government’s plan to move them out was not feasible because most of them possess some form of National Identification.

“Maybe they can sack those in the big shops, but I’m not sure they will sack small and petty traders like myself,” he added.

Other foreign traders in the market appeared unthreatened by the ministry’s notice and said they doubted if government would push through with its intention.

Some Ghanaian traders in the market, however, described the situation as dicey. According to them, though it would bring more business to them, it could also lead to a rise in crime wave as the hundreds of foreigners that could be affected may resort to stealing.

A Ghanaian trader, Yusif Braimah, said he would have loved it if foreigners were permanently moved out of the market but expressed pessimism about the feasibility of this action.

“The government should rather implement a policy that requires them to pay more than Ghanaians in terms of taxes so that the country can also benefit from them”, he suggested.

This development follows the Ministry of Trade and Industry’s earlier notice that required all non-citizens to move out of Ghanaian markets by the 27th of this month.

The notice was in accordance with the GIPC Law 2013, (Act 865) section 27(1) which states that “a person who is not a citizen or an enterprise, which is not wholly owned by a citizen, shall not invest or participate in the sale of goods or provision of services in a market, petty trading or hawking or selling of goods in a stall at any place”.

The Ministry entreated offenders (foreigners) to move out of the markets by Friday, July 27, 2018 or face legal action.