The Abossey Okai Spare Parts Dealers Association is taking a measured, legal approach to address the issue of foreign involvement in the retail trade, a practice prohibited under Ghanaian law. Instead of resorting to vigilantism, the association has engaged with foreign counterparts and government bodies to ensure the law is enforced peacefully.
Speaking at a press briefing, Gifty Loveluck Naana Fianu, the Association’s General Secretary, detailed the steps being taken. She explained that the association recently held a closed-door meeting with the leadership of foreign traders, primarily from Nigeria, to explain the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) Act, which restricts foreigners from engaging in retail businesses.
”We gave them an assignment to go and explain the GIPC Law in detail to their members and report back to us in two weeks,” Fianu stated. She added that the association has also dedicated three days for foreign-owned shops to close temporarily while meetings are ongoing.
To ensure the law is properly enforced, the association is sending letters to various state institutions, including the Ghana Police Service, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA). The goal is to collaborate with these authorities to create a peaceful working environment at the Abossey Okai business enclave.
Fianu also appealed to Ghanaians who act as fronts for foreign businesses to stop the practice and warned local members against taking the law into their own hands. “We are not sacking them,” she said, “but rather entreating them to work within the GIPC Law.” She emphasized that the association’s ultimate aim is not confrontation but to ensure the law is upheld for the benefit of all. In a bid to assist authorities, the association has begun collecting data on shop owners to facilitate the enforcement process.
