The Ghana Union of Traders Associations (GUTA) has issued a stark warning to the government, threatening nationwide demonstrations if authorities fail to enforce laws barring foreign nationals from participating in the country’s retail trade.
At the heart of the dispute is Section 27(1) of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre Act, 2013 (Act 865), which explicitly prohibits non-citizens and foreign-owned entities from engaging in retail activities, petty trading, hawking, or operating in local markets. Despite the legal framework, enforcement remains weak, and foreign traders—especially in major commercial districts—continue to operate openly, sparking growing discontent among Ghanaian business owners.
“Our patience is wearing thin,” said Nana Kwabena Peprah, Greater Accra Regional Chairman of GUTA, in an interview with Citi Business News. “We’ve received no engagement from the government following our demonstration at Circle. The silence is provoking anger across our membership nationwide.”
The group, representing a broad base of Ghanaian merchants from mobile phone dealers to market stall operators, claims the unchecked influx of foreign traders is undermining local businesses, eroding margins, and crowding out Ghanaian enterprises. GUTA contends that illegal competition—mainly from traders of Chinese, Nigerian, and other foreign backgrounds—continues to deepen economic hardship among its members.
Frustrations reached a boiling point last week during a protest in Accra’s Kwame Nkrumah Circle commercial district, a key urban trading hub. The demonstration highlighted the mounting pressure on policymakers to act decisively or risk broader unrest across the country's retail landscape.
“If this issue is nopt addressed urgently, we are heading toward a nationwide disruption,” Peprah warned.
The standoff raises broader questions about Ghana’s investment climate and its long-standing struggle to balance foreign investment inflows with the protection of local enterprise. While the government has previously pledged to enforce retail exclusivity provisions, GUTA argues that meaningful action has yet to materialize.
Analysts say the dispute underscores a deeper tension between economic liberalization and protectionist policies in emerging markets, particularly where informal sectors dominate and political accountability is closely tied to grassroots economic survival.
