We'll lose money and so what? - GUTA President claps back at critics over closure of shops

President of Ghana Union of Traders, Dr Joseph Obeng, has said that inasmuch as the closure of shops by some members in Kumasi will affect their sales, the move was a step in the right direction. According to him, the demonstration by the traders in Kumasi is to register their displeasure and show how seriously the economic downturn is affecting the trading community. He added that just as other professions like teachers and nurses go on strike, traders, on the other hand, have the legitimacy to protest against the government. Speaking in an interview with GhanaWeb, Dr Joseph Obeng said, "We have the government that takes care of us as citizens and so if there’s something that is in your heart, it is within your right to let government know so that they know that these things that is happening is eating up our members. That is why workers, teachers, nurses, go on demonstrations and that’s why traders can also go on demonstrations." "When you do that, they know that the situation has reached a point that is very unbearable for the people so it’s not about what they are saying. It’s about what we want to demonstrate to the government even though we will be ones that will be affected, and so what? The essence is to let government know how serious our plight is," he told GhanaWeb's Ernestina Serwaa Asante. Some members have opined that the closure of shops will rather affect traders than the government. On Monday, October 10, 2022, some traders in Kumasi locked up their shops in protest of the frequent depreciation of the cedi. They also cited the high cost of doing business and the collection of exorbitant taxes by the government as some reasons for the protest against the government. According to the traders within the central business district, the demonstration will last for three days. They explained that the protest also aims to kick against the decision by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to station their officers at each shop to record Value Added Tax (VAT) on products they sell. Watch the latest episode of BizTech below: ESA/BOG