IGP tours Central Business District as GUTA strikes

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, paid a visit to the central business district in Accra to boost security following a mass closure of shops sparked by the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA).

He also held a meeting with members of GUTA at Opera Square as protests continued in Accra over the harsh business environment faced by traders.

The protest is intended to push the government to urgently address the depreciating cedi, high-interest rate, and soaring inflation.

GUTA announced its decision to begin the protest on Wednesday, October 19, after engaging in a three-hour meeting with some members of the Council of State.

In a press briefing after the meeting, the President of GUTA, Dr. Joseph Obeng, said the resolve to close shops was a distress call to the nation.

He said that even though there was a global dimension to the economic situation, thus the Russia-Ukraine War and COVID-19, the nation could not dwell on those events.

“Our immediate neighbours in this global village are Cote d’Ivoire, Togo, and Burkina Faso. If they have not been consumed by these global phenomena, then there is something fundamentally wrong with our economy,” he said.

Among other things, GUTA called on the government to ascertain the factors leading to excessive demand for forex while reviewing investment laws to retain forex and push foreign investors into productive sectors of the economy.

“Government should adopt other alternative currencies like the Chinese Yuan to reduce the pressure on the Dollar, especially. There should be the immediate implementation of the road map to flush out all illegal foreigners in the retail trade sector,” Dr. Obeng added.