Opinion/Feature | 8 July 2012 09:00 CET

Nigerans Protest As Ghana Closes Down Their Shops

Source: Babajide Ogunbumi/Nollywoodgists.com

Ghana has commenced the exercise of shutting down of illegal foreign traders which consists of all foreigners all over the nation who have not complied with the law of the land.

Those who are greatly affected is Nigerians who live as brothers and sisters on the coal city.

After a 4-month grace period ended, the Ghanaian government have begun to expel illegal foreign traders from their stores despite a request from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) parliament

A few days ago, the Ghanaian Minister for Trade Hannah Tetteh was interviewed by the BBC over the operation and she explained in detail that the exercise was merely to expel those who were not in compliance with the Ghana Investment Promotion Law, which requires foreign traders in the country to invest an initial capital of $300,000 (approximately N49 million) and may require at least 10 Ghanaians to be employed by the firm

She said the law, which allowed the removal of the foreign retail traders from markets, was in conformity with the ECOWAS Protocol.

A task force of under the Ministry of Trade and Industry started going round the markets in Accra last Tuesday to close down shops of foreigners engaged in the illegal retail trade business.

The Inter Agency Task Force is made up of officials from the Registrar-General's Department, Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, the Ghana Revenue Authority, Police, Immigration Service, the Ministries of Trade and Industry, and Foreign Affairs.

The Nigerian business community, especially, is demanding a review of the action while the Vice President of a policy think-tank, IMANI Ghana, Mr. Kofi Bentil, has cautioned against “protectionism”.

Mr Bentil said if the law allowing Ghana to take the action was bad, the implementation was even worse, fearing other countries might retaliate and Ghanaians living in those countries will be the losers.

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