The Abossey Okai Spare Parts Dealers Association, a powerful trade group in one of Ghana’s busiest commercial hubs, said it will begin ejecting foreign traders from the market starting Monday, citing longstanding violations of national investment laws.
In a statement issued Friday and signed by its Director of Communications, Takyi Addo, the Association pointed to Section 27(1) of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) Act, 2013 (Act 865), which prohibits non-Ghanaian citizens from engaging in retail trade, including hawking, market stalls, and other forms of petty commerce.
“Despite the clarity of the law, enforcement has been lax, and foreign nationals continue to operate freely in local markets like Abossey Okai,” the statement read. “This has had a corrosive effect on indigenous businesses and threatens the sustainability of local entrepreneurship.”
The move underscores growing tensions in Ghana over the role of foreign nationals—particularly in the informal retail sector—where local traders have long complained of unfair competition and regulatory inaction. Abossey Okai, a sprawling hub for automotive parts and mechanical supplies in Accra, has emerged as a flashpoint in the broader debate over foreign participation in small-scale commerce.
While the Association emphasized it is not opposed to foreign investment, it argued that such investments must align with existing trade laws. “This is not an attack on foreign investors,” the group said, “but a necessary step to ensure that investment complies with the legal framework designed to protect local enterprise.”
The traders are calling on government agencies and regulatory bodies to assist in the enforcement effort, warning that continued inaction risks further economic disenfranchisement of Ghanaian traders.
Officials at the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre and the Ministry of Trade and Industry have not yet publicly responded to the Association’s announcement.
