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Former Deputy Trade and Industry Minister, Murtala Mohammed has laid the blame at the doorstep of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) for failing to ensure that foreigners do not engage in retail businesses as enshrined in GIPC Act 2013 (Act 865) section 27(1).

According to him, his Ministry took further step due to complains from the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) to meet with the Chief Justice to train officers from the Ministry of Trade and Industry and officers from Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) as well as two members from GUTA to be trained as prosecutors.

Speaking on Radio Gold’s 'Alhaji and Alhaji' political show on Pan Africa TV, Murtala Mohammed disclosed that the reason for the inclusion of GUTA members in training to prosecute foreigners who engage in retail business was the fact that they know what happens at the market area unlike the Ministry.

“GUTA has failed and I will say this. I had constant interactions with GUTA members as Deputy Trade Minister with my then boss, Dr. Ekow Spio-Garbrah, we took further step because of this concern that was expressed. We met with the Chief Justice and the Chief Justice trained officers from the Ministry of Trade and GIPC and we said GUTA must also give us people and they brought two people to be trained as prosecutors . . . one and a half years I asked GUTA whether they have been able to present a single individual who they claim is engaged in some of these retail businesses illegally and they couldn’t,” he disclosed.

He revealed that “in part of much interaction with them, they admitted that some of their members are fronting for these foreigners in such market areas. The explanation is simple, a Nigerian, Togolese, South African or a Chinese will come and see a Ghanaian GUTA member, the person goes to register the company then they pay for the shop then the Ghanaian sits in the shop, the Nigerian comes as someone who is supplying the goods but in actual fact the store is owned by the Nigerian”.

He however alleged that GUTA members know those of their members who are conniving with the foreigners to cheat the GIPC Act 2013 as they don’t have the capacity to ensure that those of their members are brought for prosecution.

“ . . So sometimes when I listen to them, I am shocked. We did this; monies were spent in the training. Those monies were provided by the Trade and Industry Ministry for the Judiciary to train these people, build their capacity so they can also engage in this prosecution; absolutely nothing was done about it,” he claimed.

Quoting the GIPC Act 2013, Murtala Mohammed said that “nobody, no foreigner has the right to engage in any retail business; not even at certain designated area”; revealing that some Chinese in Ghana are engaging in second-hand clothes business, defeating the purpose of protecting petty businesses reserved for Ghanaians.