GUTA Vows to Remove Foreigners from Ghana’s Retail Sector, Plans Nationwide Protest

The Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) has declared its intent to take decisive action to protect Ghana’s retail sector from what it describes as increasing encroachment by foreign nationals.
Speaking in an interview on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM monitoring by mrwoode.com GUTA President Dr. Joseph Obeng expressed serious concerns about the growing dominance of foreigners—particularly Chinese nationals—in the country’s retail space. According to him, foreigners now control nearly 70 percent of the local retail market, a sector that is legally reserved for Ghanaian citizens.
“There has been a massive increase in the number of shopping malls across the country, with the majority of them owned and operated by foreign nationals. China Mall and China Town are expanding aggressively, and it’s pushing Ghanaian traders out of business, Dr. Obeng lamented.
He criticized the government for what he described as a lack of political will to enforce the laws that restrict foreign participation in retail trade.
The law protects retail trading and reserves it for Ghanaians. In five years, if this trend continues, we may end up working as store assistants for these foreign businesses. We simply cannot compete with them, he warned.
To draw national attention to the issue and compel the authorities to act, GUTA has announced plans for a nationwide demonstration dubbed Destiny Day. The protest will serve as a platform to voice the frustrations of local traders and demand urgent enforcement of existing laws.
Nobody is listening to us, and that is why we have decided to embark on this protest. It is an indictment on us as a country to allow this to happen,” Dr. Obeng stated.
He further argued that Ghana should not make exceptions for foreign traders, especially when similar leniency is not afforded to Ghanaians abroad.
In their home countries, violators of local trade laws are dealt with ruthlessly. Why then are we failing to enforce our own laws here in Ghana?
Addressing questions about legal action, Dr. Obeng revealed that foreign entities had previously attempted to sue GUTA in an international court during the tenure of former Attorney General Marietta Brew. However, he stated that the case was dismissed, with the court upholding Ghana’s right to reserve the retail sector for its citizens.
That legal attempt failed. The court ruled against foreign participation in retail trading, so there is no need for GUTA to pursue further legal battles. What we need is enforcement of our laws.
In closing, Dr. Obeng called on the government to immediately implement the laws governing the retail trade sector to protect local businesses and ensure economic sovereignty.
It is senseless to allow foreigners to dominate our retail market while we refuse to enforce our own laws. They have more capital and more aggressive strategies. If we don’t act now, we risk losing our economic independence.