The President of the Ghana Union of Traders Associations (GUTA), Dr. Joseph Obeng, has urged Ghanaians to stop unfairly blaming traders for high commodity prices.
He said the real causes lie in inflation, taxes, and economic mismanagement.
Speaking about the issue on the KeyPoints with Alfred Ocansey on May 17, Dr. Obeng said traders are also victims of Ghana’s unstable economic environment and should not be turned into scapegoats.
“It is unfair to vilify traders. We are not the reason for high prices. Inflation, fuel hikes, taxes, and the falling cedi are,” he stated.
Dr. Obeng noted that traders are trying to stay afloat in a volatile economy.
“We go to the same market, we feel the same pain,” he said, calling on the media and general public to better understand the underlying factors.
He also urged the government to engage the business community in policy discussions to ensure sustainable solutions are found.
Dr Obeng also called on the government to take urgent steps to address the challenges facing Ghanaian traders at the borders.
According to him, the closure of the borders due to recent political tensions in Niger and the broader West African sub-region has significantly impacted trade flows, especially between Ghana and its landlocked neighbors.
“ECOWAS countries like Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso are our main markets. The borders are closed, and we can’t trade,” Dr. Obeng lamented during an interview on the Keypoints with Alfred Ocansey on May 17.
“We cannot transact with our clients. Meanwhile, these are the people we depend on for our daily bread,” he said.
Dr. Obeng emphasized the importance of West African regional integration and appealed to ECOWAS and the Ghanaian government to fast-track diplomatic efforts to stabilize the sub-region and restore trade routes.
“The government must engage in diplomatic talks, because these crises don’t just affect security—they directly hurt traders and the Ghanaian economy at large,” he stated.
Dr. Joseph Obeng also expressed concerns over the continued encroachment by foreign nationals, especially Chinese traders, into Ghana’s retail sector—a space he says is legally reserved for Ghanaians.
He called on the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), the Ministry of Trade, and other relevant institutions to strictly enforce existing investment laws.
“There are foreigners, particularly Chinese, doing retail in our local markets, especially in the Eastern Region. That is against our laws,” he said.
Dr. Obeng warned that failure to enforce the GIPC Act, which reserves the retail sector for Ghanaians, will further marginalize local traders and affect livelihoods.
He stressed that GUTA is not against foreign investment but insists such investments must be made within the legal framework.
“We need the government to step in. If the law exists, it must work,” he stated.
