The Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GNCCI) on Thursday said it is dismayed at the action taken by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) against some banks and companies over the payment of business operating permit fees saying locking out businesses is not the best approach.

"The Chamber is of the view that locking out businesses will thwart all the efforts government and the private sector have been making to attract foreign investment into Ghana and also create the wrong impression that Ghana does not have a congenial investment climate," it said in a statement signed by Sal Amegavie, the Chief Executive.

The Chamber specifically referred to the locking out of Barclays Bank and Standard Chartered Bank and some business operators who are its members. The statement said the Chamber, in collaboration with the Ghana Association of Bankers, had been in negotiation with the AMA over the rate of increase and the mode of classification of businesses for levying the Business Operating Permit Fees since 1995.

It said negotiations for 2002 commenced in March, 2002 and the Chamber last met AMA on 12 November 2002. "The negotiations were not concluded and the AMA agreed to another meeting to finalise the rate of increase for 2002 and 2003."

The statement said it was agreed that the business operators could pay what they paid in 2001 on account to enable the AMA to continue with its operations pending the next meeting between the two parties.

"The GNCCI therefore regrets the AMA action which is against the spirit of the negotiations on the Business Operating Permit Fees since 1995." The Chamber called on the AMA to withdraw its action and reconvene the negotiations soonest to enable a quick resolution of the issues raised at the previous meeting.

Banking activities at the High Street branches of Standard Chartered Bank and Barclays Bank were disrupted for at least two hours on Tuesday morning when AMA closed them for not paying their business operating permit fees for the year 2002.

Personnel from the Police and the AMA Task Force prevented customers from doing business with the banks. The AMA has increased the business operating permit fees for the banks from 27m cedis to 140m cedis.

AMA said only these two banks were resisting the payment of the new fees. Ebenezer Essoka, Managing Director of Stanchart, described the action of the AMA as "irresponsible". AMA carried out similar actions against two mobile phone operators on Wednesday, Spacefon and Millicom.