Leadership of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) has disassociated itself from the recent closure of foreign shops at Opera Square in Accra.

President of GUTA, Dr Joseph Obeng tells Joy Business leadership has called for calm and also sort the intervention of the national security.

“We the leadership of GUTA have no hand in what just happened regarding the closure of the shops of foreign retailers at Opera Square in Accra.

“We are currently liaising with national security on the best way out on this. All local traders must exercise restraint so as not to escalate issues,” he told Joy Business.

Joy Business reported how some 100 foreign shops were shut down for what local traders say is a breach of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) law.

This is not the first time in a year for GUTA members to embark on such an exercise.

Last week, a similar distress action was embarked upon at the Suame Magazine at Kumasi, Alabaa and other market centres.

Dr Joseph Obeng argues that the closure of these shops follows the protracted closure of the Nigerian-Benin Border which has left trucks from Ghana stranded at the borders.

So far, Nigerian authorities have revealed an extension of the border until January 31 – a development the President of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA), Dr. Joseph Obeng has described as proof of weak ECOWAS protocols.