Shops in Accra, Kumasi to close from Tuesday

Shops in the country’s two foremost regional capitals, Accra and Kumasi, are to close from Tuesday in protest against what owners describe as laxity on government’s part to enforce laws guiding retail business.

The traders, through their mother association, Ghana Union of Traders’ Association (GUTA), issued a threat last week to protest the infiltration of retail trade by foreigners, a phenomenon which according to the Ghanaians, is against the country’s laws.

“It will interest you to know that nothing concrete has been done to review the unfavourable policies to save our businesses from total collapse,” said George Ofori, the National President of GUTA.

The closure of shops is scheduled to relax on Friday, by which time GUTA expects a “concrete” action from government may have occasioned.

Mr Ofori said, however, that if government fails to act, the protest will be extended to the other eight regional capitals of the country.

The traders are also complaining of “severe” economic conditions in the country, adjuring government to “ameliorate” those conditions.

Meanwhile, an official of the Ministry of Trade and Industry has assured that government will engage the traders in order to reach a consensus with them.

"We will continue to engage them in further discourses so that together we will forge a way forward," said Kwadwo Ntim Atuahene, the Ministry's Director in charge of Domestic Trade and Distribution.