The True Information advocacy (TIAO) an NGO, in collaboration with the Ghana Union of Traders Association in the northern region are registering their displeasure about the delay by authorities in the northern region in clamping down on activities of foreigners engaged in retail business.
The traders say, the continued operations of foreigners in retail business pose a great danger to local retailers involved in petty trading who are mostly into small scale businesses. Their concern follows the elapse of a directive by the Trade and Industry Ministry to non-Ghanaians engaged in retail business on 24th February this year.
Addressing a news conference in Tamale, the President of the TIAO accused Trade and Industry ministry for reneging in their effort not to entertaining foreigners to operate in commercial areas not designated for market purposes.
Mr Ramadan also took a swipe at the National Inter –Agency Taskforces mandated to safeguard the sector reserved for indigenes according to Ghana’s investment laws. He claimed the taskforce has been compromised to carry out its mandate.
He challenged the taskforce in the northern region to implement the plan as soon as possible for the interest of the petty traders in the region.
Mr Ramadan also challenged the Nigerian authorities for trying to mislead the West African Sub-Region by misquoting the Ghana Investment Promotion Act,1994 (Act 478) which states that, for a trading enterprise, irrespective of whether wholly or partly owned by a non-Ghanaian, the minimum capital requirement is 300,000 US dollars.
The Project Coordinator of the TIAO, Abdulai Issah blamed the situation on institutional bureaucracy in the public sector, saying several meetings with city authorities on the matter yielded no results.
He said they are against their eviction from the country, but however expect the foreigners to respect the laws of Ghana. Some members of GUTA who spoke to Zaa News say the activities of foreigners in retail business are throwing them out of business and called on government to intervene immediately.
Hajia Memunatu Iddrisu who claimed she has been trading for over decades between Ghana and other sub-Saharan country lamented about the behavior of the foreigners in Ghana, especially Nigerians. Hajia stated that nationals trading Nigeria suffered a lot of humiliation in spite the ECOWAS treaty.
{jcomments on}]]>
