TIG Post

Tag: Abossey Okai parts dealers

  • Breakdown of foreign nationals detained, repatriated for street begging

    Breakdown of foreign nationals detained, repatriated for street begging

    The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has provided a breakdown of foreign nationals detained and repatriated for street begging in the country.

    A statement from the GIS issued on Monday, May 19, revealed that 925 undocumented migrants have been repatriated from the country.

    The nationalities are currently being held at the designated holding center, including 2,241 individuals.

    They consist of 2,073 Nigeriens, 138 Nigerians, 28 Burkinabes, 1 Guinean, and 1 Malian.

    A total of 925 have been repatriated. A breakdown of the repatriated foreigners indicates 819 Nigeriens and 106 Nigerians.

    All affected immigrants had to undergo profiling and security screening in line with standard operating procedures.

    Repatriation could not commence on Friday, 16th May, because the above processes continued into the late hours of the day.

    Repatriation was initiated in the morning of Saturday, 17th May. According to the GIS, processes are underway to repatriate the foreign nationals.

    On Friday, May 16, the GIS removed street children and their guardians from the streets of the country’s capital, Accra, particularly at Kaneshie and Abossey Okai.

    The initiative was aimed at decongesting the streets as well as curbing child exploitation as part of the Mahama-led administration’s agenda to improve urban mobility.

    The victims, who usually solicit for alms and are believed to be foreign nationals, were packed in immigration vehicles.

    Meanwhile, the Minister for Interior, Muntaka Mubarak, has revealed that the exercise to rid the streets of foreign nationals will soon be extended to other regions beyond Accra.

    “I have seen the public reactions and calls for similar actions in places like Kumasi, Tamale, and other communities. Please be assured that this is a nationwide exercise that began in Accra and will be extended to other regions soon.”

    The minister has urged all Ghanaians to remain calm and support this exercise.

    “Let us cooperate with the security teams as they work to protect our streets and uphold national safety,” he wrote in a Facebook post.


  • Street children, guardians evacuated in Immigration raid at Abossey Okai

    Street children, guardians evacuated in Immigration raid at Abossey Okai

    Street children and their guardians have been removed from the streets of the Capital, Accra, particularly at Kaneshie and Abossey Okai.

    The operation, which took place in the early hours of Friday, May 16, was led by the Ghana Immigration Service aimed at decongesting the streets as well as curbing child exploitation as part of the Mahama-led administration’s agenda to improve urban mobility.

    The victims who usually solicit for alms, believed to be foreign nationals, were packed in immigration vehicles.

    In a related development, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) is expected to remove traders selling on the streets and pavements in Accra on Tuesday, May 20.

    Before the exercise, vehicular movement in the area was at a standstill, as some traders sold their items in the middle of the streets, preventing pedestrians and vehicles from barely moving freely.

    Meanwhile, transport operators in Ghana have issued a stern warning to the government and the Ghana Police Service, demanding immediate enforcement of the Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2180), particularly those relating to trading on roads and pavements. 

    They have given authorities until Monday, May 19, to act or face a nationwide protest. According to the operators, the growing encroachment of roads and pavements by traders poses serious safety risks and disrupts the free flow of traffic.

    Under Ghana’s Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2180), specific provisions prohibit trading activities that obstruct pedestrian and vehicular movement. 

    These regulations are designed to ensure the safety and free flow of traffic on public roads and pavements.

    Under Regulation 117 of the Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2180), it is an offence for any person to engage in trading activities in certain areas that pose a risk to public safety or obstruct the smooth flow of traffic.

    According to the law, a person shall not sell goods, display goods, offer goods for sale, or deliver goods as part of a sale on or alongside a road. A person shall also not sell or display goods on a pedestrian walkway. In addition, a person is prohibited from selling, displaying, offering for sale, or delivering goods within thirty metres of a railway level crossing.

    The law further prohibits such activities under a road traffic sign that indicates a blind corner or a rise. It is also an offence to engage in these trading activities within an intersection. Lastly, the law forbids trading on or alongside any road, including areas around a toll booth and a toll plaza.

    Any person who violates the above restrictions commits an offence. Upon summary conviction, the person is liable to pay a fine not exceeding fifty penalty units or serve a term of imprisonment not exceeding three months, or both.

    This regulation is designed to safeguard the safety of all road users and ensure that trading activities do not interfere with traffic or endanger lives.

  • 2024 Elections: NPP has lost our votes – Spare parts dealers

    2024 Elections: NPP has lost our votes – Spare parts dealers

    Spare parts traders at Abossey Okai has expressed discontent with the government, citing concerns over the negative impact of recently introduced taxes on their businesses.

    They express disappointment, having perceived the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government as business-friendly, only to witness what they deem as harmful taxation measures.

    The traders appeal to the government to establish a stable business environment to facilitate economic growth.

    “The country and everything in it are messed up, and everything has changed, right down to the food we eat. Everything is being taxed, and we don’t see what the tax is being used for. I am paying GH¢6,000 for a container, and a part I used to sell for GH¢5 is now GH¢20,” one spare parts dealer said.

    “Some two years ago, we were selling Toyota Vitz for GH¢35,000, but it is now selling for GH¢70,000, and the cost of spare parts has also shot up due to high import duties and the unstable exchange rates, and all we look forward to is voting this government out,” another dealer stated.

  • Abossey Okai parts dealers cancel strike following GRA discussions

    Abossey Okai parts dealers cancel strike following GRA discussions

    The Abossey Okai Spare Parts Dealers Association has aborted its plans to embark on a sit-down strike against the Ghana Revenue Authority over the ongoing compliance and monitoring exercise.

    “We are pleased to announce that the closure of our shops, which was intended to send a signal to the government and GRA, has been suspended with immediate effect,” said Takyi Addo, the Head of Communications of the association, during a press conference.

    The association says it decided to call off the industrial action after engaging the Ghana Revenue Authority and the Customs Division.

    The group added that, the Customs Division also addressed the sentiments raised by the dealers by progressively recalling its officers who were earlier deployed to various shops in Accra to police the dealers.

    Takyi Addo, however, put on record that the association was not opposing the electronic value-added tax policy, but rather how the decision was taken and enforced.

    Takyi Addo, the Head of Communications for the Abossey Okai Spare Parts Dealers Association, addressed the dealers in Accra at a press conference