Foreigners have been cautioned against venturing into retail business in the country as it was creating an unfair competition for the local businesses.
This would ensure compliance with the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) Act 2013 that outlines steps that all foreign national must go through to set up businesses in the country.
The Chairman of the Mobile phones and Accessories Dealers Association (MPADA), MrJoseph OseiAgyemang, made the call at the 10th anniversary celebration of the association in Accra yesterday.
The celebration would include activities such as “health screening, an aerobics and football match at the Accra Academy Astro turf, a donation to a selected orphanage and climaxed with an outdoor party at the Accra digital centre.”
Speaking on the theme “ten years of enhancing telecommunications, through mobile phones, accessories and computers,” the chairman said the association had contributed significantly to the fight for the reduction of the 20 per cent special levy imposed by the government.
He said the association together with other stakeholders has been successful in convincing the government to reduce the levy to 10 per cent.
He added that the constant depreciation of the cedi was negatively affecting their businesses and would eventually force some of their members to permanently close their shops.
“This challenge is reaping off the capital of dealers. What this means is that the dealer will need more cedis to import goods into the country unlike the previous years where we needed few cedis to conduct business,” he explained.
“The depreciation of the cedi, has caused high inflation of goods and services which is obvious to all and because of this, purchase of phones, accessories and computers has diminished drastically making it difficult to even feed our families and loved ones,” he added.
He appealed to the government to implement sustainable measures in addressing the country’s current economic challenges.
He advised Ghanaians to desist from purchasing gadgets from persons that do not belong to any shop as they were swindlers.
He further expressed support for the government’s digitalisation drive saying that, it would go a long way to increase development in the country and shore up digital literacy as that was the future.
BY JESSEL LARTEY THERSON-COFIE
