Closure of shops: Nigerians sell imported goods from Asia – Dr Obeng alleges

President of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA), Dr Joseph Obeng, has said most of the goods sold on the Ghanaian market by Nigerians are products imported from Asia.

He explained that per the ECOWAS protocol law, it bars the dumping of goods not manufactured by another member country to another within the ECOWAS circle.

In an exclusive interview with GhanaWeb, he indicated that “These Nigerians in Ghana are not selling goods that are made in Nigeria. They are selling the goods that are imported from Asia and dump it in Ghana”.

Dr Obeng’s comment comes after the Nigeria Union of Traders Association Ghana (NUTAG) announced that the frequent closure of foreigners’ shops were targeted at Nigerians.

The call on their government to come to their aid were hearken when their Information Minister issued a statement condemning the ceaseless attacks on their members in Ghana.

The Nigerian government further noted that it has watched keenly several ‘harsh’ actions taken against them, citing the demolition of the Nigeria High Commission’s building in Accra.

He, therefore, urged the Nigerian government to get their information right before threatening the government of Ghana because their statement released showed that they were misled by their fellows in Ghana.

Last month, the Trade Ministry served a notice to foreign traders whose businesses are either not registered or do not meet the standard requirements to do so before Monday, August 10, 2020.

On August 13, 2020, over one hundred retail shops belonging to foreigners were closed down at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle.

Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Prince Boakye Boateng, indicated that the Committee was only enforcing Section 27, Clause 1 of the GIPC Act of 2013, Act 865.

“We came here today to lock-up shops, we did not come here to inspect legal documents. We have been here several times and when we came here earlier on we asked them to ensure that they have complied with the necessary regulatory requirements.”

The exercise is ongoing in the Greater Accra, Ashanti and Eastern regions and is expected to end on September 2, 2020.