A near-clash broke out at the Abossey Okai Spare Parts hub on Monday, September 8, 2025, when leaders of the Spare Parts Dealers Association began an exercise to enforce Ghana’s retail trade laws.
The operation, which focused on identifying shops operated by foreign nationals, forms part of the Association’s efforts to curb what it calls ongoing violations of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) Act. The Act reserves retail trade in Ghana for citizens, yet local traders say foreign operators continue to flout the law.
Some shop owners, anticipating confrontation and possible enforcement, shut down their outlets ahead of the exercise. Security officers were deployed to the enclave to monitor the situation as tensions heightened.
In a media briefing, the Association’s General Secretary, Gifty Lovelock Naana Fianu, announced that foreign retailers in the enclave had been given a three-day ultimatum to close their shops.
She cautioned that if government fails to intervene, the Association will enforce Section 27(1) of the GIPC Act, 2013 (Act 865) through citizens’ arrest.
“The activities of these traders, which violate Ghana’s investment laws, are distorting fair competition and threatening the survival of local businesses. We will not allow this illegality to persist,” she stressed.
The Spare Parts Dealers Association insists its actions are intended to restore fairness in the retail space and has called on government to take immediate measures to ensure compliance with the GIPC Act.
