We’ll do worse than Suame episode – Electrical Dealers warn

The Ghana Association of Electrical Dealers has issued a two-week ultimatum to the government to fully enforce Section 20 of the Ghana Investment Promotion Act (Act 865) of the 1992 Constitution or its members will be compelled to launch attacks on foreign retailers in an even worse fashion than what transpired at Suame Magazine last week when Ghanaian traders destroyed the shops and wares of some Nigerian-owned shops.

According to the group, successive governments have failed to address their plight, hence the need to pile pressure on the government.

Addressing a joint press conference by various organisations in Accra, the spokesperson for the electrical dealers, Mr Samuel Asare Addo, warned that they are bracing themselves to attack foreigners operating in the retail sector.

“What they saw at Suame Magazine, we will be doing more than that because we have realised that the government is not on our side. Until the GIPC law is implemented, we will never stop,” he stated.

He added that many foreign nationals have flooded the Ghanaian market with inferior and cheap goods which leads to low patronage of quality Ghanaian products.

He also alleged that those foreigners do not pay taxes.

For his part, the National Organiser of the Ghana Union Traders Associations (GUTA), who doubles as the President of the Abbosey Okai Spare Parts Dealers Association, Mr Samuel Boateng, observed that the Association has never had qualms with foreign companies such as Melcom, Koala and others, simply because they have followed due process.

GUTA, he warned, will not accept any attempt by the government to review the Acts to favour foreigners.