Kumasi shops reopen after traders meet with Asantehemaa

Traders at the Kumasi Central Business District have reopened their shops after a crunch meeting with the Asantehemaa, Nana Konadu Yiadom ll.

The traders had closed their shops since Monday, October 10, in protest of taxes and the presence of GRA officials at their premises to record all daily transactions.

Charles Kusi Appiah-Kubi, Executive Secretary of the Ashanti Business Owners Association, told journalists on Friday, October 14, 2022, that they “held a crunch meeting with an emissary from Asantehemaa and we accorded our mother the respect to open our shops”.

“Yesterday, we visited the Regional Coordinating Council to have an engagement with the Regional Minister, but unfortunately, our meeting had to be rescheduled today at 10 am,” he added.

“We also met with a delegation from the Asantehemaa’s palace, and upon the plea from the delegation from the royal palace, we decided to open our shops today,” Issah Zakaria, another member, told reporters.

However, he noted that if the meeting ends inconclusively with the minister, they shall close down their shops again until their demands are met by the government and relevant stakeholders.

Background

On October 10, 2022, traders within the Central Business District in the Kumasi Metropolis in the Ashanti Region protested by closing down their shops over taxes imposed on their businesses by the government.

The traders were kicking against a decision by the Ghana Revenue Authority(GRA) to station their officers at each shop to record Value Added Tax (VAT) on products they sell.

The affected shops were for traders who deal in groceries at Pampaso and PZ, located in the Central Business District.