Abossey Okai Traders Issue Ultimatum Over Foreign Retailers
By Praisebell Rosemond Larbi
The Abossey Okai Spare Parts Dealers Association has issued a three-day ultimatum to foreign nationals engaged in retail trading within the country’s largest auto parts hub, demanding that they shut down their shops or face direct enforcement action.
According to the Association, the activities of foreign traders within Abossey Okai contravene Ghana’s investment laws, distort fair competition and pose a serious threat to the survival of indigenous spare parts businesses that have operated in the area for decades.
At a press briefing in Accra, the General Secretary of the Association, Mrs Gifty Lovelock Naana Fianu, explained that the ultimatum is rooted in provisions of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) Act, 2013 (Act 865), particularly Section 27(1), which reserves petty trading and retail markets exclusively for Ghanaians.
“We are giving them three days to do this. Today, we will go round, humbly talk to them for them to understand, and then we will talk to their leaders on Wednesday. If they refuse to listen to us, that’s where we will bring in the authorities,” she stated.
Mrs Fianu further indicated that the Association is prepared to take matters into its own hands if state institutions fail to enforce the law.
“We will send our letters to the police, give them five days, and then write a letter to all the institutions that are supposed to come in, and from there, we will do what we want to do,” she warned, hinting at possible citizens’ arrests of defiant traders.
The Association stressed that the issue is not one of xenophobia but rather a matter of enforcing existing laws to protect the livelihoods of Ghanaian traders.
Members argue that foreign involvement in retail trading has contributed to the collapse of many small businesses due to unfair competition and capital advantage.
This development comes amid long-running tensions between local retail associations and foreign traders, particularly within Ghana’s major trading centres.
Previous standoffs, especially involving Nigerian traders, have often required government intervention to prevent escalation.
The Abossey Okai Spare Parts Dealers Association has vowed to stand firm in its demand, insisting that the three-day ultimatum is final unless authorities demonstrate concrete action to uphold Ghana’s trade laws.
