- Union Leader Asks FG To Intervene
By Gbenga Abulude
Nigerian traders based in Ghana have been lamenting over the harassment suffered in the hands of Ghanaian authorities who demanded what they described as an outrageous one million dollar as tax registration fee for operating in the West African country.
In a video which has gone viral, a policeman was seen threatening to close down the shop of a Nigerian, for not paying the amount as tax to the Ghanaian government.
He later made his demands forcefully, locking up the shop while the victim challenged the action.
The Nigerian businessman claimed he has paid both his company tax and other necessary fees, before registering his business.
He accused the Ghanaian policemen of treating Nigerians in their country harshly.
In the video, he shouted, “I have been doing business in Ghana since 2007, and I have not defaulted in paying my tax. I have the necessary papers to back up my claim. You guys are only closing our shops because of the $1 million you ask us to pay. Where do you want us to get the $1 million?” He asked.
In a related development, the President of Nigerian Traders Union in Ghana, Mr Chukwuemeka Nnaji, on Saturday lamented the closure of shops owned by Nigerians doing business in the country.
According to Nnaji, shops belonging to Nigerians in Accra were locked up by Ghanaian authorities who demanded evidence of their Ghana Investment Promotion Council (GIPC) registration.
The requirement for GIPC registration is $1 million minimum foreign equity, while registration fee is 31,500 cedis.
Nnaji who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said an inter-ministerial task force went round last week Monday, August 10 to identify shops owned by Nigerian traders and requested for the registration of business taxes, resident permit, standard control and GIPC registration.
Mr Nnaji said, “Most of our members do not have the GIPC registration, because it requires one million dollars cash or equity and they gave us 14 days within which to regularise.
“As of Thursday, they had moved to another area and started locking up shops of Nigerian traders.
“This is the livelihood of Nigerians being destroyed by Ghanaian Authorities. This is not being perpetrated by a trade union, but Ghanaian authorities.
“They demanded that we must employ a minimum of 25 skilled Ghanaian workers and must not trade in commodities that Ghanaian traders have applied to trade in.
“The humiliation of Nigerians is getting out of hand. We are calling on the Nigerian government to come to our aid,” Nnaji said.
