Wednesday, 22nd September, 2021b

Page 10
Business
DAILY ANALYST Wednesday, 22nd September, 2021
GUTA members demonstrate
...lock up shops of foreign retailers in K’dua
Over 40 shops belonging
to foreigners
engaging in retail
trading in Koforidua
have been locked by
members of the Ghana Union of
Traders Association (GUTA) in
the Eastern Region.
The members on Monday,
September 20, 2021, embarked on
a demonstration to register their
displeasure about the continuous
involvement of foreigners in
retail trade in the New Juaben
South Municipality.
The peaceful demonstration
almost turned violent when the
owner of Mighty Light Plus Shop
which is adjacent to the Koforidua
Central Police station broke
the locks placed on his shop and
started trading; a situation that
infuriated the GUTA members
who heckled him and forced him
out of his shop.
The angry members who
protested wielded placards with
inscriptions such as “Obey Act
865 section 27A now”, “Police
must prevent illegal trading”,
“Foreigners are prohibited from
retailing our markets”, “We shall
police our own market”, among
others.
Darlen Nana Boateng, the
Public Relations Officer of GUTA
in the region, spoke to Citi News.
He said members will use all
legal means to prevent foreigners
from engaging in retail
trading in the region.
“Right now, it has turned
a bit chaotic, although that is
not the plan we came out with.
Our members shut down a shop
but when the business owner
came in, he opened the shop and
insisted that he will work and
whatever it takes, he will not
comply with the directive. No
one is here destroying anybody’s
business, but people should not,
on their own, take the law into
their own hands and be resisting
the laws of Ghana. The foreign
retailers should just comply
with the law.”
Some other members who
also spoke to Citi News about
the activities of the foreigners
expressed worry over the development
and asked for immediate
intervention.
Over the years, there have
been various disagreements
between Ghanaian traders and
their counterparts from other
countries, particularly Nigerians.
The local traders have argued
Hollard’s Patience Akyianu is African
Female Business Leader of the Year
Hollard Ghana’s
Group Chief Executive
Officer (GCEO)
Patience Akyianu
has achieved continent-wide
recognition as the
African Female Business Leader
of the Year at the just-ended
6th Invest in Africa Summit
2021 (virtual) organized by the
prestigious African Leadership
Magazine.
The award ceremony was
held as a highlight of the 6th
Invest in Africa Summit which
was organized under the theme:
Africa 4.0: Redefining Growth,
Sustainability, and Innovation.
African Business Leadership
Awards seeks to acknowledge
and commend top-performing
individuals for their selfless
services to nation-building. This
meritorious award recognizes
leading lights on the continent,
contributing towards changing
the African narrative.
The selection process ethics
entails three steps, involving
nomination, subsequent voting,
and final screening by the editorial
team of the African Leadership
Magazine.
Patience Akyianu emerged
winner of the African Female
Business Leader of the Year category.
Patience was recognized
as an exceptional female leader,
with fantastic managerial skills
who despite stiff competition
in a male-dominated world, has
shown resilience, courage, and
sagacity in building a worthy
brand.
Receiving the award,
Patience Akyianu in her acceptance
speech expressed
profound gratitude to God, the
advisory council, the editorial
team, and Dr Giami of the African
Business Leadership Awards.
“I am so delighted to be
honoured as the African Female
Business Leader of the Year
and I give all the glory to God
from whom all blessings flow. I
am completely stunned by the
massive support I have received
from across Africa, especially
from Ghana during the voting
process and I thank everyone
for this overwhelming vote of
confidence. It is clear to me that,
I could not have emerged the
winner of this prestigious award
without the help and support of
my family, friends, my church
community, colleagues at
Hollard Ghana, and the various
networks I’m part of”.
“I, therefore, dedicate this
award to my entire network and
all the people who have contributed
to making me who I am
today. I’m very encouraged by
this recognition and will continue
to contribute my best to the
financial services sector and the
development of our continent.
Together through hard work, we
will create and secure a better
future for all. Thank you for
this international honour,” she
added.
According to Dr Giami, the
Publisher of the African Leaders
Magazine, the 2021 Africa
Business Leadership Award
(ABLA) celebrates grit, purpose,
and impact in Africa’s business
environment, especially in what
continues to be a difficult period
for most people due to the impact
of coronavirus. He further
added that the leaders who have
emerged winners in the various
categories have exhibited these
celebrated attributes in admirable
capacities and are deserving
of great accolades.
that per Ghana’s laws, foreigners
have no right to engage in retail
trade within the country, as their
activities affect the local retailers
negatively.
The government subsequently
set up a presidential committee
to properly scrutinize all
foreigners engaging in trading
activities in the country.
This has led to the closure of
several shops belonging to foreign
retailers across the country.
But last week, GUTA threat-
MTN Ghana has
been awarded Investors
in People
Platinum Accreditation
by the
United Kingdom based Investors
in People (IiP) International.
The Platinum Accreditation is
the High-Performing standard on
the IiP accreditation model and
the highest level on the IiP Standard.
MTN is the first company
in Ghana to receive the Investors
in People Accreditation.
The Accreditation confirms
MTN Ghana as an organisation
that adhere to the Investors
in People Standard and global
best people management
practices. MTN Ghana received
the Platinum Accreditation in
September 2021 after rigorous
evidence-based assessment
including a survey of Employees,
a review of the company’s people
practices and policies, interviews
with a cross section of selected
employees and confirmation of
evidence provided.
ened to resume locking up shops
of foreigners because of stalled
negotiations under the Joint
Implementation Taskforce.
The brunt of GUTA’s action
in the past has been towards the
Nigeria Union of Traders Association,
Ghana (NUTAG).
Though there is free trade
among ECOWAS countries, Ghana’s
laws say a person who is not
a citizen or an enterprise that is
not wholly-owned by a citizen
shall not invest or participate
in the sale of goods or provision
of services in a market, petty
trading or hawking or selling of
goods in a stall at any place.
There is also a $1 million
minimum capital requirement
for foreigners doing business in
Ghana, in line with GIPC Act.
MTN Ghana receives
investors in People
Platinum Accreditation
Commenting on the award,
the Chief Human Resource
Officer of MTN Ghana, Amma
Benneh-Amponsah, said “We
are glad MTN has received the
high-performing accreditation
in the Investors in People
standard. Since MTN Ghana
received its first Investors in
People Accreditation in 2014, we
have continuously and consistently
worked hard, invested in
our workforce and continued to
employ best practices in people
management to ensure the organization
continues to meet the
global standard on all fronts.
“As an organisation, we are
committed to enabling our employees
live inspired, Work with
meaning, Thrive in positivity,
Grow with purpose and Connect
to develop in all that we do. I
am also excited this accreditation
is coming at a time MTN is
celebrating its 25th Anniversary,
a testament of the organisation’s
growth and contributions to
society,” she added.
Amma Benneh-Amponsah, Chief