The Brong Ahafo Regional Branch of the Ghana National Association Garages (GNAG) has given a three-day ultimatum to all foreigners engaged in retail business to stop.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Branch of the Association has a membership of 5,000 across the entire region.
Addressing a press conference in Sunyani, Augustine Osei Tutu, Chairman of the Sunyani Municipal Branch of GNAG who spoke on behalf of the regional branch, urged foreigners engaged in retail business to stop operating or they would force them to close down their shops by Friday, August 24, 2018.
Mr. Tutu revealed that all efforts to stop the foreigners especially Nigerians engaged in the illegal retail business have not been fruitful.
“We would not sit down for businesses to collapse whiles the law the does not allow these foreigners to engage in the retail business it reserves for us Ghanaians,” he noted.
He noted that life is becoming extremely difficult for them because of what is happening.
He noted that the Association has no problem with foreigners engaged in wholesale business.
Other tensions
There have been some disputes at Suame Magazine in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region were some local retailers have vowed to evict foreigners who operate within the enclave.
Disturbances were also recorded at Tip Toe lane, a hub of retail activity near the Nkrumah Interchange.
There was an initial deadline of July 27, 2018, to evict the traders but that was pushed back in favor of more dialogue.
Per the GIPC law Section 27 (1) of the GIPC Act, a person who is not a citizen or an enterprise which is not wholly owned by a citizen shall not invest or participate in the sale of goods or provision of services in a market, petty trading or hawking or selling of goods in a stall at any place.
–
By: Michael Sarpong Mfum/citinewsroom.com/Ghana