The Abossey Okai Spare Parts Dealers Association has announced plans to begin an exercise on Monday, 8 September 2025, to enforce Ghana’s trade laws that restrict foreigners from engaging in retail trading.
In a statement signed by its Director of Communications, Takyi Addo, the Association said the move seeks to ensure strict compliance with Section 27(1) of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) Act, 2013 (Act 865). The law prohibits non-citizens from engaging in petty trading, hawking, or operating stalls in Ghanaian markets.
The Association expressed concern that despite the law, some foreign nationals continue to operate within the Abossey Okai enclave—Ghana’s largest hub for spare parts—posing what it described as a direct threat to local entrepreneurship.
“Successive governments have failed to ensure full enforcement of this Act, resulting in a persistent drain on the businesses of Ghanaian traders. The time has come to uphold the law and protect local enterprise from unlawful competition,” the statement read.
The group stressed that it is not opposed to foreign investment in Ghana, acknowledging its role in national development, but insisted that such investments must comply with the country’s legal framework.
It also appealed to state institutions and stakeholders to support the planned exercise in order to safeguard the integrity of local trade and secure the future of indigenous businesses.