The Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) says it will carry out it threat to close shops beginning today Wednesday, October 19, 2022, to protest the current economic challenges despite the engagement with members of the Council of State on Tuesday, October 18 to convince the group to rescind its decision.
According to the traders, the protest has been necessitated by the high cost of doing business in recent times.
They insisted that the continuous plummeting of the local currency on the exchange market and the high inflation rate have exacerbated their plight.
President of GUTA, Dr. Joseph Obeng, speaking with the media after the engagement with members of the Council of State said “It is obvious that, we cannot contain these challenges any longer as it is becoming increasingly challenging. We want to send a hint to the government to recognize that, there is a sense of urgency in this situation. On this note, by the power vested in me by the trading community, I declare that all shops in the Greater Accra be closed tomorrow till Monday”.
GUTA’s protest follows the Adum Business Community in Kumasi closing down shops for five days because of the implementation of tax policies concerning VAT.
The traders in Adum reopened their shops after meeting with government representatives.
Meanwhile, the Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana has backed the shutdown.
By Vincent Kubi