Ghana-based foreign traders react as government orders closure of shops

- Foreign traders whose shops have been closed by Ghanaian authorities have reacted in surprise to the decision

- According to them, the decision is unfair and does not show respect

- One of them wondered why such a decision would be taken when Ghanaians are freely doing business in Nigeria

Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in

Some Nigerians in Ghana have registered their displeasure at the decision by the government to close down the shops owned by foreign traders in Accra.

According to them, Ghanaian authorities are not treating them fairly with respect to the decision to shut down the shops.

One of them, whose identity is not readily available, argued :

"You’ve locked the shops completely for eight months; you opened the shops after eight months and assessed every shop here. You gave each one $1,500 and $2,000 to pay to the Ghana Revenue Authority. They have started making the payments. Some of us have regularised our documents. You’re coming to lock the shops. Where do you expect us to recover the money you asked us to pay?"

READ ALSO: Ghana earned almost GHc3 billion from Non-Traditional Exports in 2019 - Report

Per a classfmonline.com report, he then wondered if Ghanaians are being treated the same way in Nigeria, as millions of them are engaged in petty businesses but without passports.

YEN.com.gh earlier reported 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 and will then extend to areas such as Opera Square, Zongo Lane, Kantamanto, UTC, and Kumasi.

In another report, 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.

Enjoyed reading our story? Download YEN's news app on Google Playstore now and stay up-to-date with major Ghana news.

Use the comments section below to share your views on this story.

Do you have a story to share or you have information for us? Get featured on YEN.com.gh. Message us on Facebook or Instagram!

Source: YEN.com.gh