New taskforce fails to resolve retail trade impasse between Ghana and Nigeria

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The impasse between Ghanaian brokers and outsiders, particularly Nigerians, working in Ghana’s retail space may not end any time before long after an absence of agreement on the matter.

A new gathering between the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) and the Nigerian Union of Traders Association (NUTAG) at the command of the new official taskforce ordered by the Trades Ministry to track down an agreeable answer for the stalemate indeed neglected to determine the continuous exchange war.

Some Ghanaians merchants have lately secured shops possessed by Nigerians in a bid to get them to agree with the laws that preclude outsiders from participating in retail exchange the country.

Notwithstanding the law prohibiting outsiders from taking part in retail exchange Ghana, some far off nationals keep on participating in such exercises in break of the GIPC Act.

This turn of events and absence of legitimate authorization by administrative offices have prompted a few showdowns between Ghanaian retailers and their unfamiliar partners in pieces of the country.

In September this year, some unfamiliar claimed shops in various pieces of the nation were strongly shut.

The Ministry of Trade and Industry therefore set up another joint taskforce including authority of GUTA and NUTAG to assist with settling the issue following the disappointment of an underlying taskforce to do as such.

The Ministry of Trade and Industry additionally requested that GUTA individuals abstain from securing shops having a place with outsiders in front of an arranged gathering with heads of both worker’s guilds today, Tuesday, October 5, 2021.

The gathering was anyway uncertain as individuals from NUTAG say they are yet to brief their administration on the most recent turn of events and the way forward.

Co-Chair of the Ghana–Nigeria Joint Implementation Task Force on Retail Trade Frank Agyekum addressed Citi Business News on the result of the gathering.

“Lamentably, at this gathering, the Nigerians have told us again they have not completed their discussion with their administration, thus we were unable to continue with the gathering. It must be deferred for another week with the expectation that when we meet once more, the counsel between the Nigerians and their administration would be finished, and afterward we can continue on from that point. Furthermore, meanwhile, the Trade Ministry has asked GUTA to likewise hold off any activities until we have a reaction from the Nigerian government, and afterward we realize what to do from that point”.

In the interim, President of GUTA, Joseph Obeng, said he is confident the following gathering will carry absolution to the matter.

“Toward the finish, all things considered, it has been concurred that one week from now ought to be an unequivocal week. Thus I think our siblings have plainly perceived that they need to go along and from what they are saying they will conform to the laws of Ghana”.