Ghana Union of Traders Association, GUTA, said it is petitioning parliament over the redrafting of the existing GIPC law, Act 865. 

“We [GUTA] are petitioning parliament as our representatives, to think of Ghana first and the trading business in the hands of indigenous Ghanaians,” GUTA said in a statement.

The association has been accusing foreigners of taking over the local retail market - “we look around the country today foreigners are flouting our good laws and are causing the nation a lot of harm than good as compared to indigenous Ghanaians who holds birthrights in the country."

In a statement signed by Emmanuel Nana Opoku Acheampong, Greater Accra Regional Secretary of GUTA, the association said, “We the Greater Accra Regional Branch of GUTA cannot tolerate any individual interest to put the greater number of traders unemployed and have their businesses collapse when such changes to the GIPC Law Act 865 section (27) will enshrine the protection of a Ghanaian trader.”

Per Section 27 of the GIPC Act 865, “A person who is not a citizen or an enterprise which is not wholly owned by a citizen, shall not invest or participate in the sale of goods or provision of services in a market, petty trading or hawking or selling of goods in a stall at any place.”

GUTA believes that this portion of the law should be protected at all cost for Ghanaians who are now struggling in the market areas with foreigners who are flouting the existing law by invading these market areas which the law prohibits

GUTA is, therefore, demanding the implementation of the Ghana Investment Promotion Council (GIPC’s) law on protecting local enterprises as the Centre works to review aspects of its laws.

According to the association, the development which in its view has been given little attention over the years has negatively affected local businesses.

Action by GUTA

The statement further said “we wish to tell the government that, if GIPC goes ahead and make changes to the Act 865 section 27 that seeks the protection of the Ghanaian trader, this is how the traders will react to the law if passed.

1. The Greater Accra Regional Branch of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) with the support of the trading public shall revolt against the government if Mr Yoofi Grant is given the nod to make changes to the aforementioned section of the GIPC Act 865 section (27)

2. We shall urge all traders by every means possible to protect their businesses else there will be NO trading community for the indigenous Ghanaians because businesses will be taken over by foreigners.

The Greater Accra Regional Branch of GUTA is calling on the government to treat this issue with a posture of urgency when GIPC presents the redrafted Act 865 section 27 of the law. 

“Government should give it a second thought and think of Ghanaians first,” the statement concludes.