Leading Member of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Kwame Jantuah, has raised concerns about the ongoing clashes between Ghanaian retailers and their foreign counterparts, warning against xenophobic tendencies.
Speaking on Joy Prime’s Prime Morning show, he argued that the situation has worsened because state authorities have failed to properly enforce existing laws regulating the retail trade.
“Enforcement of the law has failed, and the moment the enforcement of the law fails, people take the law into their own hands. Ghanaians are not known xenophobes, but they have been pushed to the wall,” he said.
He explained that the tension is driven largely by Ghana’s economic conditions, particularly the high cost of production that makes local goods more expensive compared to foreign imports.
Mr. Jantuah added that consumer preference also worsens the situation, as many Ghanaians opt for cheaper imported goods instead of supporting locally produced items.
“When Ghanaians go to the market, they would go for the cheaper ones rather than the Ghanaian-made goods. So we’ve got to look at the factors of production,” he explained.
He further criticized the short-term profit mentality among some Ghanaian traders, insisting that sustainable business growth requires patience.
The CPP stalwart encouraged collaboration with foreign traders, particularly Nigerians, to balance competition and strengthen economic ties.
“When you bring in a master engine, how much can you get it for? How can we work this together so that we can align prices? Simple,” he suggested.