The Ghana Electrical Dealers Association (GEDA), is calling on the Presidential Committee on Retail Trade to start vetting the business operating documents of foreigners working as dealers in electrical items at the Opera Square in Accra.
The group earlier locked up the shops of foreigners, particularly Nigerians, who they claim were trading without permit business operating permits, despite their activities being illegal per Ghana’s laws.
The shops were however reopened after the Presidential Committee was set up.
The Organizer of the Association, Hajia Moena Buari, told Citi Business News “We know that there has been a Committee set up by government to look into the affairs of foreigners concerning their documentation; and whatever is empowering them to work in the trade sector. As we speak, it is like the committee has done their work at Circle, but we have not heard anything so we have decided to give them notices to caution them to leave our trade sector, if they fail to do that, we shall lock their shops.”
The Ghana Electrical Dealers Association (GEDA), embarked on an exercise to close down foreign-owned shops, particularly those belonging to Nigerians at the Opera Square.
It says government has failed to implement the GIPC Act 865 which prevents foreigners from engaging in the country’s retail sector.
Following the government’s intervention, the electrical dealers reopened the shops in the hope that the law would be enforced.
The Ministry of Trade and Industry set up a Presidential Committee on Retail Trade to vet the business operating documents of these foreigners, but the Opera Square was left out in the exercise.
The Association in a notice posted on the foreign-owned shops says the Committee must replicate the vetting at the Opera Square in Accra within two weeks, or else they will be left with no option than to lock them up again.