Members of the Kasoa branch of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) is calling for the Presidential Committee on Foreign Retail Trade to as a matter of urgency resume operations and prevent foreigners from operating in their retail space, otherwise they will not hesitate to take matters into their own hands.

According to a press statement from GUTA, foreigners took advantage of the break on the part of the committee due to the outbreak of COVID-19 and the subsequent general elections to infiltrate the retail market and occupy space meant for Ghanaian traders.

The members of GUTA are therefore demanding that the laws should be enforced so that the retail market in Ghana will be left for Ghanaians only.

National Welfare Officer of GUTA, Benjamin Yeboah spoke to Citi Business News saying: “In Kasoa, unfortunately, we have a large number of foreigners that trade in these retail business that is forbidden by law. Last year, because the COVID-19 committee set up by the Trade Ministry couldn’t work that much, it was a bit slow but still, they were able to do some work”.

“There was a timetable that they were trying to follow until the elections so after the elections we have been waiting for government to put in place all those necessary structures that they have to, but time is running, and we are in May and our members are also crying and funny enough even though our borders are closed to these foreigners they are able to trickle in through these borders and they are still taking up places on the market and this is a bother to them. We are calling on government that as a matter of urgency the committee on retail trade should be revamped so that they can start where they left off and then come to the aid of our members because they are at their wits end. We as leaders will be talking to them and trying to calm them down but how long can we continue doing that”.