Deal with challenges going through Ghanaian merchants on the borders – GUTA President urges authorities
The President of the Ghana Union of Merchants Associations (GUTA), Dr. Joseph Obeng, has referred to as on the federal government to take pressing steps to deal with the challenges going through Ghanaian merchants on the borders.
In keeping with him, the closure of the borders resulting from latest political tensions in Niger and the broader West African sub-region has considerably impacted commerce flows, particularly between Ghana and its landlocked neighbors.
“ECOWAS nations like Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso are our essential markets. The borders are closed, and we will’t commerce,” Dr. Obeng lamented throughout an interview on the Keypoints with Alfred Ocansey on Might 17.
“We can not transact with our purchasers. In the meantime, these are the individuals we rely on for our every day bread,” he stated.
Dr. Obeng emphasised the significance of West African regional integration and appealed to ECOWAS and the Ghanaian authorities to fast-track diplomatic efforts to stabilize the sub-region and restore commerce routes.
“The federal government should have interaction in diplomatic talks, as a result of these crises don’t simply have an effect on safety—they immediately damage merchants and the Ghanaian financial system at massive,” he acknowledged.
Dr. Joseph Obeng additionally expressed considerations over the continued encroachment by international nationals, particularly Chinese language merchants, into Ghana’s retail sector—an area he says is legally reserved for Ghanaians.
He referred to as on the Ghana Funding Promotion Centre (GIPC), the Ministry of Commerce, and different related establishments to strictly implement current funding legal guidelines.
“There are foreigners, significantly Chinese language, doing retail in our native markets, particularly within the Japanese Area. That’s in opposition to our legal guidelines,” he stated.
Dr. Obeng warned that failure to implement the GIPC Act, which reserves the retail sector for Ghanaians, will additional marginalize native merchants and have an effect on livelihoods.
He careworn that GUTA is just not in opposition to international funding however insists such investments should be made inside the authorized framework.
“We want the federal government to step in. If the regulation exists, it should work,” he acknowledged.
The put up Address challenges facing Ghanaian traders at the borders – GUTA President urges government first appeared on 3News.
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