Foreign-owned shops without operating documents to be closed down – Report

- The Presidential Committee on Retail Trade will enforce a decision to close illegal foreign-owned shops in Ghana from August 13

- The committee will begin at Kwame Nkrumah Circle and extend its activities to other areas

- The decision comes after the affected traders were served with several notices by authorities

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YEN.com.gh has learned that the Presidential Committee on Retail Trade, which operates under the Ministry of Trade and Industry, will begin closing down foreign-owned shops without business operating documents.

The shops are deemed to be illegally operating in retail trade and the committee will begin its work on Tuesday, August 13, 2020.

The exercise is expected to begin at Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra and will soon extend to areas such as Opera Square, Zongo Lane, Kantamanto, UTC, and Kumasi.

READ ALSO: Defend yourselves! Nigerian leader says after GUTA closes down 150 shops

A classfmonline.com report shows the actions of the committee follow a series of notices served to the affected traders. There have been a series of clashes between Ghanaian and foreign traders, especially Nigerians, due to the latter’s involvement in retail business in the country.

The Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) has been at the forefront of the intent to close such shops. However, the traders argued that their decision to do business is in line with protocols established by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which allows free movement of goods and people across the West African sub-region.

YEN.com.gh earlier reported that the GUTA called for the immediate closure of all retail shops owned by foreigners at Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra. GUTA argued that the foreign traders are illegally operating there and need to cease operations as soon as possible.

Joseph Oteng, the association’s president, revealed that the Association has inspected working documents of such traders and concluded that about 90% of them are breaking the law. He went on to say that the Association will not support any wrongdoing and, for that reason, there is a need for a closure of such shops in order to quell tension in Ghana.

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Source: YEN.com.gh