Kevin Ekow Taylor Criticises Expansion of China Mall, Warns of Economic Consequences
- Journalist Kevin Ekow Taylor criticised the rapid expansion of China Mall in Ghana, calling it a threat to the economy
- He claimed to have observed that China Mall stores were strategically placed near local hubs, harming Ghana's retail market
- Despite laws regulating the participation of foreign players in retail business, Taylor warned that ineffective enforcement could lead to the collapse of local markets
Controversial Ghanaian journalist Kevin Ekow Taylor has raised concerns over the alleged rapid and strategic expansion of the China Mall chain across the country.
Source: UGC
Taylor, known for his forthright critiques, tagged the business strategy of the foreign-owned mall chain as the 'new galamsey.' He argued that this phenomenon is posing a grave threat to Ghana.
According to him, the China Mall chain is a great threat to Ghana's retail market and, by extension, its entire economy.
He claimed that the foreigners strategically placed their malls in key commercial areas that are often in proximity to Ghana's own Accra Mall.
He said:
"They are strategising places where they will place the China Mall. And because of that, when you go to Accra Mall, which is basically supposed to make money for Ghana, Accra Mall is empty, but the China Mall is full."
He warned that this would ultimately collapse the local markets in the country, from major ones like Kejetia in Kumasi and Makola in Accra to smaller local ones.
While acknowledging that there are laws, such as the GIPC Act (Act 865), meant to regulate foreign participation in the retail sector, he implied that these laws are not being effectively enforced.
He concluded with a dire warning that if this trend is not checked, a time will come when 'nobody will go to our markets,' and the Ghanaian economy will 'collapse.'
Watch the video of his speech below:
Reactions to Kevin Taylor's China Malls warning
YEN.com.gh collected reactions from Ghanaians who watched the video of his rant on X. Some of the comments are below.
@theomeneben said:
"It doesn’t matter who is selling what, as long as what is being sold is not made in Ghana, the money goes to wherever the goods are made. The problem with Ghanaians is profiteering. The foreigners look at small margins + large sales = big profit."
@DannyRace1 commented:
"But we have Melcom everywhere in Ghana, which is owned by Indians, but we see no problem about that."
@yo_jeezy questioned:
"Do you know the number of people these guys have employed?"
@Sacks3zlyf wrote:
"But Mahama endorses Chinese business in Ghana and also has an ambassador to China, so what do you expect?"
@singapo_malaya said:
"They operate hideous businesses. They don't pay tax. The government would rather harass small businesses struggling to survive. These Chinese are pushing Ghanaians out of the market."
Source: Instagram
Nigerian traders speak out against market eviction
YEN.com.gh had earlier reported that Nigerian social media influencer VeryDarkMan (VDM) visited the Abossey Okai spare parts market to investigate the eviction saga involving Nigerian traders.
Following multiple videos showing the closure of shops owned by Nigerians, VDM interviewed several traders, who explained that a disagreement over business models led to the conflict.
According to the traders, Ghanaian counterparts wanted Nigerians to act solely as wholesalers, but defaults in payments pushed them to set up their own retail shops.
They also refuted claims of undercutting prices or engaging in fraudulent activities, explaining that customs duties made it impossible to sell goods cheaply and arguing that these allegations were unfair generalisations.
Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
