We’re not fronting for foreigners in retail business – GUTA

The Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) has rejected claims by government that its members are fronting for foreigners to engage in retail businesses in Ghana illegally.

Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Murtala Mohammed claimed on Onua FM that investigations they conducted revealed that GUTA members were behind foreigners who are engaged in retailing in the country.

He claimed that the shops being used by these foreigners are registered in the name of Ghanaians as owners whilst the foreigners operate behind the scenes; making it difficult for authorities to clamp down on such foreigners.

But this claim, the National Executive of GUTA, Benjamin Yeboah, has countered the minister’s claim, noting the most foreigners doing business in the retail sector in Ghana have registered their businesses in their own names.

“As I am speaking to you, there are a lot of foreigners selling on the market whose businesses are registered in their own names so I find it hard to get my mind around what government is saying.

The evidence is there, you can check places like UTC,” he said on 3FM. He also challenged the minister’s claim that GUTA has failed to provide evidence to the effect that foreigners are engaged in retailing, claiming that they have presented all the necessary evidence to the prosecutors to act.

“We have visited the markets and have secured several evidence of foreigners who had their businesses registered in their own names, even ECOWAS people been given temporary access to our market have come to stay,” he said.