Following the closure of shops owned by foreigners by the government’s inter-ministerial taskforce in the country, President of the Nigerian Traders Association of Ghana (NUTAG), Chwukuemeka Nnaji, has said the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) are jubilating now because of the ongoing exercise which is in their favour.

“For GUTA, I know them to be saying what they think all the time and thank God now the inter-ministerial committee are working in their own command so I think GUTA should be enjoying now popping up champagne,” he told GhanaWeb's Ernestina Serwaa Asante.

But the President of GUTA, Dr. Joseph Obeng, had earlier dismissed claims that their members are jealous of their fellow Nigerian traders and are deliberately targeting them.

According to Dr. Obeng, the Nigerian traders are infringing on the basic laws in the retail sector and must abide by the laws of Ghana.

Last month, the Trade Ministry served a notice to foreign traders whose businesses are either not registered or do not meet the standard requirements to do so before Monday, August 10, 2020.

On August 13, 2020, over one hundred retail shops belonging to foreigners were closed down at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle.

Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Prince Boakye Boateng, indicated that the Committee was only enforcing Section 27, Clause 1 of the GIPC Act of 2013, Act 865.

“We came here today to lock-up shops, we did not come here to inspect legal documents. We have been here several times and when we came here earlier on we asked them to ensure that they have complied with the necessary regulatory requirements.”

The exercise is ongoing in the Greater Accra, Ashanti and Eastern regions and is expected to end on September 2, 2020.