The leadership of the Abossey Okai Spare Parts Dealers Association has issued a 10-day ultimatum to unauthorised dealers in the business enclave to move out.
According to the association, it will collaborate with the Ablekuma Central Municipal Assembly to undertake a decongestion exercise in the business hub after the ultimatum elapses.
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, May 4, 2021, the Co-Chairman of the Abossey Okai Spare Parts Dealers Association, Clement Boateng outlined the reasons for the move.
“For some time now, our business has suffered in terms of patronage because our customers don’t find it convenient to come and buy from Abossey Okai as a result of heavy traffic of people selling in the middle of the road. This is negatively affecting our business.”
“Customers have said that if they buy the home-used items, they do not last long. This has come about as a result of some of our boys taking discarded parts, polishing them, and reselling them to unsuspecting customers,” he further stated.
The Association believes that clearing the unauthorised dealers will bring sanity to their operations.
“It is against the aforementioned factors that we are of the firm conviction that if the exercise is completed, sanity and discipline will be restored in the Abosey Okai enclave. Therefore, we are giving them 10 days to find a better place to do their business”, Clement Boateng added.
This is not the first time the Abossey Okai Spare Parts Dealers Association has raised concerns about unauthorized dealers including foreigners.
In the past, they called on the government to speedily implement the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) Act, 2013 (Act 865) to prevent foreigners in the country from engaging in retail trade.
The situation also led to the forceful closure of a number of shops belonging to foreigners engaged in retail businesses.
The non-implementation of the law is manifested in tensions in local traders locking up shops of foreign traders among other clashes.
Police have normally stepped in to calm tensions and protect foreign traders.
