GEDA clears Opera Square of foreign traders

Accra, July 23, GNA - The Ghana Electrical Dealers Association (GEDA) has embarked on an exercise to clean the Opera Square of foreign traders to give room for locals to do business without interference.

The traders said the action was taken to show their displeasure towards their unmet grievances, which they spelt out during a press conference held on Monday, June 24.

Mr Koranteng Asiamah, the Chaiman for GEDA, told the Ghana News Agency that their action was to clean the business area of foreign traders, who had encroached on the local business space, depriving local traders of their right to trade.

He added that the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), Act 865 Sections 27 and 28, prohibited foreigners from engaging in the retail of merchandise within the local markets, which was reserved for citizens only.

"Have you seen a Chinese or an Indian woman selling pepper or 'koobi' at Makola before? Of course not! This is because this and other trades were reserved for local traders only in order to protect citizens economically," he said.

Mr Asiamah said they were going to open the shops for the affected traders after their documents had been vetted and proven to be genuine and qualified them as citizens.

"These are the only ways to prove that they had the right to do business within the Opera Square," he added.

Mr Samuel Addo, Public Relations Officer for GEDA, said foreigners, who did not pay taxes, owned more than 40 per cent of the shops at Opera Square, depriving government the needed revenue to run the country, adding that, all the goods imported by these foreigners were shoddy.

He said, but for one foreigner who proved difficult, the exercise was generally a peaceful one and that about 35 to 40 shops were closed.

He said they were currently in dialogue with the police and representatives of the foreign traders, however, they were still looking up to the government to fully implement the GIPC Act.

Mr Eric Abowu, a cable retailer, said their businesses were being affected mainly because the foreigners had taken to retail trade and sold their shoddy goods at lesser prices, hence attracted more customers at the expense of local traders.

He suggested that the way out was for foreign traders to engage in wholesale trade only, outside of the Opera Square area.

GNA

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