GUTA agrees to halt closing of foreign shops

The Ghana Union of Traders Association, GUTA has agreed to halt the closing of shops belonging to foreigners in the retail business.

Speaking on Asempa FM's Ekosiisen after their meeting today, December 5, President of GUTA Dr. Joseph Obeng said members have agreed to halt the exercise which was supposed to be carried out at Makola market and Abossey Okai after the one at Kwame Nkrumah Circle.

According to Dr. Joseph Obeng, they have agreed to hid to the President's call on them not to take the laws of the country into their own hands.

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Dr. Joseph Obeng stated that they will give the government committee set up to resolve the issue considerable time to address their concerns.

Circle exercise

Over 600 shops belonging to foreign traders particularly Nigerians have been locked up by members of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle on Monday

According to GUTA, the government has failed to enforce Section 27 (1) of the GIPC Act, which bars foreigners from doing retail business.

READ ALSO: If foreigners show remorse, we'll open their shops - GUTA 

President's call

President Akufo-Addo said members of GUTA does not have the right to take the law into their own hands.

According to the President, GUTA should rather allow ongoing consultations between them, the Trade Ministry and Ghana Immigration Service to be completed in order to find a lasting solution to the issue of foreign participation in the retail sector.

Addressing the leadership and members of Ghana Union of Traders Association as part of his tour of the Greater Accra Region at a stopover in Makola, President Akufo-Addo said GUTA's actions last Sunday can make the country chaotic.

“People cannot take the law into their own hands and enforce the law. If we do that, Ghana will become chaotic. We have to be careful about this phenomenon of taking the law into our own hands about situations that government is yet to resolve.”

“Please allow the work that the Trade Minister and the Committee are doing with the Immigration Authorities to progress. I am confident that if we allow same to work, your issues with foreign participation in the retail business will soon be a thing of the past in line with the law” President Akufo Addo added.