The Ministry of Trade and Industry is scheduled to meet the leadership of the Ghana Union of Traders’ Association (GUTA) to address their concerns over the ECOWAS common external tariff and utility hikes.

National Executive member of GUTA, Benjamin Yeboah told Adom Fm that after day one of their strike action, the association received invitation from the trade ministry for an emergency meeting.

Most shops in Abossey Okai, Central Business District and Kantamanto were locked up under the leadership of  Joint Private Sector Business Consultative Forum to protest tax and utility hikes.

The forum include; The Ghana Union of Traders’ Association (GUTA), Food and Beverages Importers Association, Ghana Automobile Distributors Association (GADA), Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana, Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF), Freight Forwarders Association and the Customs Brokers Association of Ghana.

George Ofori, President of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) said the first phase of the strike action will be limited to Accra.“All shops within the Accra metropolis should be closed down till Wednesday March 2. Meanwhile, notices must be communicated to our regional capitals to also be on the alert so that by Thursday, we will meet and assess the situation”

He told Accra based JOY FM that security operatives are harassing their members to open their shops for business.

The Deputy National Co-ordinator of GUTA, Mr Kofi Boateng told Daily Graphic that “We are not bothered about the losses that we will incur. Nelson Mandela once said that 'freedom is not won on a silver platter;' so, if you want to achieve something, you have to tighten your belt.”