Nigerian traders milking Ghana; goods are brought here at no cost – GUTA

Nigerian traders in Ghana have been accused of taking advantage of the Ghanaian market by bringing in goods without paying duty charges which would have contributed towards Ghana’s revenue generation. This allegation was made by Greater Accra Regional Secretary of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA), Nana Poku, who said most of the Nigerian traders bring in goods through the borders at no cost after it has been cleared in another country. He made this known on The Key Points show on TV3 where he said the Government of Ghana ought to take actions and get rid of the Nigerian traders to allow their Ghanaian counterparts trade without any interference. Mr. Poku further accused the Nigerians of bringing in goods that are not even allowed into Nigeria, and that they clear the goods in Benin and bring it to Ghana for sale. “All these things they are bringing to Ghana are banned from entering Nigeria, so they cannot export from Nigeria to Ghana. They rather clear their goods in Cotonuo, walk their way through our borders and bring these goods. “Woe betides you, you send these goods to Nigeria, it will be ceased and destroyed, so what they are doing against the nation Ghana is even clearing their goods at Cotonuo, not clearing at Tema Harbour for us to make revenue, so these people are milking the nation, Ghana,” Mr. Poku emphasized. His comments come days after GUTA issued a November 4 ultimatum for all foreign retailers to close their shops and cease doing business in Ghana. According to GUTA, per the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre’s (GIPC) Act 865, foreigners are not supposed to trade in retail business in Ghana, hence the association’s call on government to crack the whip on activities of these foreign retailers in the country. In the past few months, there has also been some altercations between the foreign retailers who are moatly Nigerians and their Ghanaian counterparts with some resulting in attacks. But speaking on the issue of attacks on the foreigners, the Greater Accra GUTA Secretary, Mr. Poku condemned it and said they will register their displeasure without violence. “What we are doing is not going to attack anybody, it is the sensitization and educational spree we are on now. GUTA will never put the name Ghana in disrepute, but we will make sure no Nigerian will do retail business in our market, that one we are poised and ready to do everything devoid of violence.” He also denied allegations that the Ghanaian business owners take the law into their own hands to lock up shops belonging to the foreigners, saying the foreign retailers lock up the shops themselves out of fear. By Irene Amesimeku3news.com|Ghana]]>