| Published Friday, 07 September 2018 | 20:33 GMT
Ghana shuts down shops owned by Nigerians, arrests hundreds of traders [PHOTOS]
- Over 300 shops reportedly locked amid tax row
A task force constituted by the Government of Ghana to regulate retail trade, today, closed down over 350 shops owned by Nigerian traders in the Kumasi region of the country. More than 100 Nigerian traders were reportedly arrested and detained.
A Nigerian trader who spoke with CFR Magazine via telephone said the clampdown which began last month has frustrated a lot of Nigerian traders doing legitimate business in Ghana.
When the government began the clampdown in August, they claimed the affected shop owners failed to regularize their business concerns as prescribed by the local law, while those detained didn’t have the necessary documents such as passport, resident permit and work permit.
But, another Nigerian trader in Kumasi region who sent the photos and videos to CFR Magazine on Thursday said the exercise was originally termed a routine inspection of business premises owned by non-Ghanaians to determine whether they were up to date in the payment of taxes but has now culminated in another round of clamp down on shops owned by Nigerians.
“The exercise is targeted at Nigerian. We're part of the ECOWAS. So why are they doing this? They've not entered into any shop owned by the Senegalese and the Togolese who do business here too.
"They said we're taking over their jobs. Nigerian government needs to wade into this matter and save those in various detention facilities. Since yesterday, they've arrested over 100 Nigerians," he said.
The Inter-Governmental Task Force comprises representatives from the National Security, Immigration, the Ministry for Interior, Ghana Standard Authority, Ministry for Trade and Industry, Ghana Police Service and Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA).
Ghana shuts down shops owned by Nigerians, arrests hundreds of traders [PHOTOS]
- Over 300 shops reportedly locked amid tax row
A task force constituted by the Government of Ghana to regulate retail trade, today, closed down over 350 shops owned by Nigerian traders in the Kumasi region of the country. More than 100 Nigerian traders were reportedly arrested and detained.
A Nigerian trader who spoke with CFR Magazine via telephone said the clampdown which began last month has frustrated a lot of Nigerian traders doing legitimate business in Ghana.
When the government began the clampdown in August, they claimed the affected shop owners failed to regularize their business concerns as prescribed by the local law, while those detained didn’t have the necessary documents such as passport, resident permit and work permit.
But, another Nigerian trader in Kumasi region who sent the photos and videos to CFR Magazine on Thursday said the exercise was originally termed a routine inspection of business premises owned by non-Ghanaians to determine whether they were up to date in the payment of taxes but has now culminated in another round of clamp down on shops owned by Nigerians.
“The exercise is targeted at Nigerian. We're part of the ECOWAS. So why are they doing this? They've not entered into any shop owned by the Senegalese and the Togolese who do business here too.
"They said we're taking over their jobs. Nigerian government needs to wade into this matter and save those in various detention facilities. Since yesterday, they've arrested over 100 Nigerians," he said.
The Inter-Governmental Task Force comprises representatives from the National Security, Immigration, the Ministry for Interior, Ghana Standard Authority, Ministry for Trade and Industry, Ghana Police Service and Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA).
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