A number of Nigerian traders have deserted Suame Magazine in Kumasi after over fifty of their shops were closed down over their involvement in local retail trade.
A taskforce from the Trade Ministry in 2018 met leadership of the Ghana Union of Traders Association and the Nigerian Union Traders Association to address the disagreements between the two parties with little success.
A meeting between the leadership of the Nigerian Traders Association and the Ashanti Regional Police Command is currently underway after it met with the leadership of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) on the matter.
Some locals who spoke to Citi News vowed not to allow the Nigerians to return if the Government fails to implement laws barring foreigners from engaging in retail trade.
A trader said, “We cannot do the retail business with Nigerians. As Ghanaians, we have an upper hand when it comes to retail. About a year ago, officials from the Standards Authority took samples from their product and have not returned. What did they do with those samples?”
“Constitutionally, foreigners cannot engage in retailing but can only supply products. Recently, so many foreigners have come to Suame Magazine and that has put us out of business. We have complained several times and nothing is being done.”
Earlier in 2019, traders at Suame Magazine similarly said they will not back down on their decision to restrain foreigners from engaging in retail business within the enclave.
The traders had said they will drive out those flouting the laws regulating retail trade in the country.
According to the GIPC law Section 27 (1) of the GIPC Act, 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.
