From Peace FM

Following the four-day strike carried out by members of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) to close down their shops and stores in protest against foreigners who were violating the trading law that restrict foreigners from engaging in retail businesses, the Ministry of Trade and Industry has backed the call to close all retail shops by setting up a 13 member taskforce in Kumasi and Accra.

Hon. Haruna Iddrisu at a press conference said Ghana’s law recognizes and respects the rights of Ghanaian traders to have unfettered opportunity and access to the retail businesses in Ghana as stated in Act 865, the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre Act, 2013.

He assured that the Ministry of Trade and Industry will uphold and enforce the provision of the law that reserves the right of sales of goods and provision of service in the market, petty trading, hawking and selling of goods in stores exclusively to Ghanaians.

“We want to strongly uphold and enforce the provision of the law in accordance with Act 865, the Ghana Investment and Promotion Centre Act, 2013……and accordingly, Ghanaian law does not permit that a non-Ghanaian or non-citizen to engage in business of retail trading within Ghanaian market. The essence of this press briefing is to indicate that MOTI will soon dispatch to the various markets across the country a 13 member taskforce to be constituted by major institutions and others to do selected visits into the markets to ensure that the law is not infringe upon”, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu assured.

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