Editor of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Kweku Baako has questioned the inability of authorities in Ghana to find a lasting solution to issues of retail trade in the country.
Speaking on Joy FM's news analysis programme "NewsFile" on Saturday, June 22, Kweku Baako said that history shows that attempts were made in the 60s with documentation on how to regulate the retail trade in Ghana.
In reaction to attacks on Nigerians at Suame Magazine he said it is unclear why authorities are unable to find solutions to this recurrent situation.
".......on June 23 1970, that is 49 years ago, parliament had an agenda to a matter like this, they were then debating for passage the Ghanaian Business Promotion Act, and if you go through it there a point that they should restrict retail trade to Ghanaians, then earlier July 1, 1968, NLMC decree 232 had the same agenda in fact it was incorporated because of the constitutional rule that was 51 years ago, but we are still grappling with the same matter what is wrong with us, why are we incapable of sometimes solving certain very simple issues..."
Abossey Okai spare parts dealers endorse Suame Magazine attacks
Ghanaian spare parts dealers at Abossey Okai in Accra have threatened to sack foreigners from the retail business.
According to the Association of spare parts dealers, if the government does not act within two weeks to sack all foreigners from the retail business they will be forced to take the law into their own hands.
They also lamented on the inability of government officials to enforce the retail law, GIPC Act 865, which prevents foreigners from engaging in the retail business.
PRO of the association Francis Anum at a press conference in Accra also endorsed the actions of some Ghanaian spare parts dealers at Suame Magazine, where the shops of some Nigerians were shut down to prevent them from selling.
"The Abossey Okai spare part dealers association write to confirm our support and solidarity with the spare parts traders in Suame Magazine against the foreigners continuous involvement in retail business in Ghana, we are emphasising that foreigners are not supposed to engage in retail trade per the laws stated above and so we are reiterating that all foreigners who are doing business to do wholesale.
"We put on record that for the past 15 years the association have been calling for various government stakeholders to enforce this law and stop foreigners without the legal backing to desist from retail business but to no avail, government must act within two weeks or we will take our destinies into their own hands," he added.
Nigerian shops at Suame Magazine shut down by Ghanaians
Shops of Nigerians at Suame Magazine at Kumasi in the Ashanti Region have been shut down by their Ghanaian counterparts.
According to the Nigerians who are spare parts dealers, their Ghanaian counterparts from last week Thursday shut down their shops preventing them from selling.
Speaking to Joy FM, some of the Ghanaian spare parts dealers at the market accused the Nigerians of evading tax and selling substandard products which is a threat to the market.
The Ghanaian spare part dealers added that the actions of these Nigerian shop owners are affecting their sales because most people do not want to buy the secondhand products anymore but the substandard new ones brought in by the Nigerians.
"People don't buy from us anymore and they (Nigerians) are smart and fast, because of the Nigerians they don't buy anything from Ghanaians, they have destroyed the market they bring in substandard parts because of that everybody wants new not the home used..."
President of the Nigerian Retailers Association Ike Chuku said they have lodged an official complaint with the police and they assured them that they will help deal with the situation.
"On Friday we came back and they continued the same thing and the police intervened, but after the police left they came back and continued with the same thing, we have decided to lodge an official complaint."
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