WE ARE NOT AGAINST FOREIGN TRADERS IN GHANA -GUTA BOSS

President of the Ghana Union of Trade Associations (GUTA), Mr George Ofori says the ongoing scuffle between its members and foreign traders in the country is an intention on the part of its members to prevent foreigners from trading in the country.

According to him, the foreigners who are prohibited by the GIPC Act 478 of 1994 from engaging in petty trading, hawking or selling from a kiosk and other small scale businesses which are solely reserved for Ghanaians, are flouting the law with the aid of some Ghanaians who he termed “fronters”.

Speaking on e.tv Ghana’s morning show, Awake, Mr Ofori blamed the GIPC for not enforcing the laws.

Section 19 (3) of the GIPC Act 478 states that in the case of trading enterprise involving only the purchasing and selling of goods which is either wholly or partly owned by a non-Ghanaian, there shall be an investment of foreign capital or its equivalence in goods worth at least 300,000.00 dollars by way of equity capital and the enterprise shall employ at least 10 Ghanaians.

However, Mr Ofori noted that that law was being flouted by the foreigners who are now selling directly to consumers.

He said, if the GIPC had not dragged its feet at the time that a task force was formed in collaboration with some sector players, the issue would not have blown out of proportion as it has now.

At the moment, he noted that GUTA had signed a community with the Trade Ministry which will ensure that the foreigners are taken out of the Ghanaian market by June this year.

He also prayed the indulgence of government to intervene in the situation saying, “Government should use its political will to resolve this issue. I don’t believe that government will sit down and watch its indigenes lose their jobs.”

Asked his opinion on whether the action being taken by GUTA would not affect the trade of Ghanaians on foreign soil, Mr Ofori had this to say.

“We are not kicking against the foreigners doing business in Ghana. Rather, we are asking them to leave the market for us. As to whether they will retaliate, we can’t tell. All what we want is for the laws to be obeyed.”

He also noted that, GUTA would by no means use an unlawful manner to address its grievances; rather, “we will use all the appropriate measures to address our issue.”

On February 21, 2012, the Inter Agency Task Force set up to monitor activities of non-Ghanaians in the trading sector was reconstituted and charged to ensure that the GIPC Act 478 of 1994 was complied with by foreign nationals.

The Task Force which is chaired by the Ministry of Trade and Industry is made up of the Ghana Revenue Authority, Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana Police Service, GIPC, Social Security and National Insurance Trust and the Registrar General’s Department.

Jasmine Arku / etvghana.com

Is it worth having laws and not enforcing them? How would you feel if your mum or dad was losing his/her business due to the activities of these foreigners? Is the government seeking the interest of Ghanaians?