*To resolve impasse  

Story: Peace AWUKU

The Ministry of Trade and Industry is expected to meet the leadership of the Joint Implementation Committee on Retail Trade which includes the Ghana Union of Traders Association, GUTA and the Nigerian Union of Traders Association Ghana, NUTAG on Tuesday, October 5, to resolve the impasse between them.

This follows three days of meetings between August 10 and August 31 this year where both parties failed to reach an agreement on how to resolve the issues. These include flouting the GIPC law which makes retail trade a sole preserve of Ghanaian traders for which GUTA has closed down foreign retail shops in parts of the country.

Ahead of the meeting, the Committee has asked GUTA and NUTAG to refrain from making public comments on the matter, especially in the media.

 Co-Chair of the Joint Implementation Committee, Frank Agyekum said the closure of Foreign retail shops in Ghana was  not the responsibility of GUTA.

“After the 3rd meeting ended inconclusively with GUTA and NUTAG make some statements in the media which led to an escalation of the closure of shops in certain parts of Ghana so this is just to stop any such reaction from either side. GUTA on its own must not close down shops, there is a taskforce on retail trade which goes round every now and then check the documents of foreign traders.”