Nkrumah Circle: Traders protest again over market space with foreigners

Mobile Phone and Accessories Dealers at Tiptoe Lane, Circle held a peaceful demonstration on Friday to register their displeasure over how government is handling the issue between them and illegal foreign traders who are sharing market spaces with them.
According to the dealers, although government promised to settle the matter peacefully after GUTA locked shops belonging to foreigners, its (government) response has not been satisfactory, threatening that if the government does not go by their recommendations, they will vote against it in the upcoming elections.
It  will be recalled that  few weeks ago, GUTA locked the shops belonging to illegal foreign traders at Circle in Accra after an inspection of documents by the Committee on Foreign Retail Trade revealed that over 90% of the foreigners did not meet the requirements to operate in Ghana.

GUTA claimed that despite their illegibility to trade, the foreigners refused to close their shops in accordance with the law hence its  actions.
Speaking at the event, the Chairman of  Mobile Phone and Accessories Dealers Association,  Mr Joseph Osei Yaw Agyemang, explained that about three weeks ago when GUTA closed the shops, they made some recommendations to government, which the latter promised to implement.
Nonetheless, after some time, it seemed government was taking too long to heed to their calls.
He said the Association decided to close the shops belonging to the foreigners who opened their shops with no approval.
Meanwhile, Mr Agyemang complained that some Ghanaian men who were contracted by the Nigerians to act on their behalf came to the scene to stop them from holding a meeting.
Although they did not fight them, he expressed hope that the recommendations drawn between GUTA and government will be  a positive one that will enable them to work without any further misunderstandings.

The Organiser, Mobile Phone and Accessories Dealers Association, Mr Dominic Aidoo who registered his frustration over the foreigners who were sharing their markets with them at circle stated that if government does not implement their recommendations, they will vote against the NPP  during the 2020 elections.
A Trader, Gloria Osei also stated that if government does not stop the Nigerians from retailing phones and accessories at circle, they will vote against the NPP government.

 
Ghana| Atinkaonline.com| Porcia Oforiwaa Ofori