The Ghana Union of Traders Associations (GUTA) is threatening a nationwide protest if government fails to take decisive action against the continued participation of foreigners in the local retail sector.

They maintain, retail trade is an area explicitly reserved for Ghanaians under the law.

Section 27(1) of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre Act, 2013 (Act 865), prohibits non-citizens and foreign-owned enterprises from engaging in retail trade, petty trading, hawking, or selling goods in stalls and markets across the country.

However, the persistent presence of foreign nationals in these activities especially in urban trading hubs has led to rising frustration among Ghanaian traders.

According to affected traders who are mostly mobile phone dealers and shop owners, lax enforcement of this legal provision has emboldened foreign nationals to operate illegally, undercutting local businesses and undermining their competitiveness.

Speaking to Citi Business News, the Greater Accra Regional Chairman of GUTA, Nana Kwabena Peprah, warned that the government’s silence in the face of repeated calls for enforcement is fuelling discontent among its members.

“We’ve not had any response from the government after the protest at Circle, neither have we had any invitation from the government to dialogue on the issues. Due to the protest at Circle, we are getting feedback from all other sectors including the regions.

“People are agitating and the government must immediately take action or else, GUTA members will begin demonstrations on those issues.”

The warning follows a demonstration by traders last week and comes amid renewed concerns of Ghana’s retail policy and its implications for local businesses.

The inability or unwillingness of regulatory bodies to implement key provisions of the GIPC Act, if left unresolved, GUTA insists, could lead to widespread unrest within Ghana’s commercial corridors.