Government has closed down 30 shops belonging to foreign nationals who were engaged in retail business at Accra Central and Abbosey Okai since the beginning of this year.

Haruna Iddrisu, Minister of Trade and Industry made this known in an address read on his behalf during a breakfast meeting organized by the Ghana Chamber of Commerce and Industries (GCCI). The breakfast meeting, organized mainly for Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of private companies, created a platform for business executives and other stakeholders to interact, share ideas and open-up networking ventures.

According to the Minister, the closure of the shops of foreign nationals would promote the local retail business. The Ministry of Trade and Industry, in July 2012, set up a National Inter Agency Taskforce to get rid of non-Ghanaians engaged in petty trading and other forms of business activities on the Ghanaian market.

The move by government was to protect the sector reserved for local traders in accordance with GIPC laws. Mr. Iddrisu reassured the private sector of government’s commitment towards the holistic growth of the economy with the private entities playing pivotal role.

He said Government had started with the implementation of the Private Sector Development Strategy II (PSDS), which set out interventions to resolve some challenges facing the private sector, adding that the Private Sector Advisory Council had been inaugurated with the mandate to hold Ministries, Departments and Agencies responsible for implementing the PSDS II.

Mr. Iddrisu urged private businesses to advertise on the National Web Based Product Gallery website of the Ministry to showcase their products and services to facilitate patronage. Seth Adjei Baah, President of GCCI said the chamber has over the years championed the cause of the private sector towards growth and prosperity of businesses and had made strides.

“I can say without equivocation that we have made great strides in that direction, notwithstanding the many challenges and setbacks we have encountered over the years,” he said.