GUTA's action to lock shops may be "politically motivated"- Minister

The Minister of Trade and Industry, Hannah Tetteh has suggested that the decision by some Ghanaian traders to close down their shops in protest to continuous competition from outsiders in the retail market may be politically motivated.

The Ghana Union of Traders Association demonstrated throughout the central business district of the capital today in addition to the shop-closure protests.

They insist the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre and the Trades Ministry must get rid of all illegal foreign retailers including Chinese and Nigerians.

But Hannah Tetteh in an interview with XYZ News said she suspects the action by the Ghana Union Traders Association has an ulterior political motive.

“I think that the position that GUTA has taken is very unfortunate. I also think that it is a misrepresentation of the situation

“But be that as it may this is an election year and we are a couple of weeks away from an election and sometimes people do those kind of things for election purposes not necessarily for business purposes”.

Meanwhile, GUTA President George Ofori told XYZ News from the grounds of the group’s street demonstration that the taskforce set up to superintend activities regarding the removal of foreigners from retail trading has not lived up to expectation thus their protest.

More than 80 percent of shops in the central business district of the Greater Accra region have been closed.