Members of the Ghana National Association of Garages in Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo Region have given foreigners, especially Nigerians operating in the retail sector, to voluntarily close down their shops by the end of this week or face their wrath.
According to members of the association, Nigerians, in particular, have taken over the retail business. They are selling spare parts at Sunyani Magazine instead of engaging in wholesale business as stipulated by the country’s law.
Speaking at a press conference, the chairman of the association, Osei Tutu Augustine, said members were not interested in taking the law into their hands by closing down the shops of the foreigners.
“We wanted them to follow government’s directives to close their shops by 27th July, but they failed to do so and we are giving them up to 24th August, 2018,”he indicated.
Mr Osei Tutu said: “Nigerians have infiltrated our business and are doing petty trading and spare parts by using motorbikes to distribute their wares to customers.
“Their modus operandi is that one Nigerian comes to hire a shop and brings about 10 or more of his colleagues to join and they use motorbikes to distribute their wares. More so, they are not known by tax officers and are invading tax,” he disclosed, adding“after the ultimatum, we will embark on a demonstration and lock the shops.”
He reiterated that the foreigners should refrain from engaging in retail business as stipulated by the GIPC Law (Act 865, 2013).
“We are not sacking anybody; all we want is for you to obey our laws. We also realized that the motorbikes they use in their business are not registered. We are, therefore, urging authorities, especially the government agencies responsible for checking foreigners, to prevail upon them to stop retail business in Sunyani else we would confront them ourselves because they are running away from Accra and Kumasi to BA,” he remarked.
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