FOR the past two years, the Progressive Traders Association (PTA) in Tamale has been looking for ways to promote a healthy business environment through peaceful co-existence among indigenous traders and their foreign counterparts in the metropolis.
One critical issue of concern to the PTA is how best to resolve the seeming unhealthy business practices being carried out by some foreign traders, which usually result in the low patronage of goods sold by the indigenous traders.
Some of the challenges are the influx of some foreign inferior goods on the market, inadequate capital, disunity, lack of data on businesses and inadequate capital. Managerial and entrepreneurial skills are equally receiving major attention in order to promote a healthy business environment in the metropolis.
These issues have over the years been a major source of worry for the leadership of the PTA, who are determined to use the association to promote a united front for the traders and help champion their cause in creating a healthy business environment in the area.
The PTA was inaugurated in the year 2006 with an initial membership of 400 made up of both businessmen and businesswomen.
It has a 15-member executive with Alhaji Haruna Yasaba as its chairman.
The PTA was formed to primarily ensure a healthy business environment through peaceful co-existence in the face of the many challenges affecting businessmen and businesswomen alike in the metropolis.
It is therefore a non-political, non-ethnic and non-religious body.
Taxation issues, confiscation of goods due to high import duties and lack of co-ordination of activities in the business sector are among the critical concerns the PTA has been working hard to resolve.
These challenges are said to be confronting traders in the metropolis, hence their inability to grow to their peak in their respective business endeavours.
The Planning Committee Chairman of the PTA, Mr Abdul-Nasir Jamal, observed, for instance, that the presence of such foreign traders like the Ibos from Nigeria, the Zambarimas from Niger, the Lebanese and Indians had made the business environment in the metropolis “very competitive but unhealthy”.
“It is on record that over 30 stores have folded up and more than 20 others are on the verge of collapse in the metropolis. For example, many motorbikes, bicycles and auto spare parts dealers are victims of the unhealthy business practices perpetrated by some foreign traders,” he reported.
The chairman of the committee further reported that some of the foreign traders allegedly reduced prices of their goods and services as well as engaged in the sale of inferior goods to unsuspecting customers in the area.
“As I speak now, about 15 women and six men, who sell clothes and materials are completely out of the market. Some individuals have adopted a fundamental dogma of laissez-faire resulting in unhealthy competition among traders. Currently, foreigners occupy not less than 50 stores in the Tamale Central Market which is not the best,” Mr Jamal maintained.
The Tamale Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Mohammed Amin Adam, for his part, urged traders in the north to intensify their business activities.
He said the assembly had decided to solicit the support of the PTA in its revenue mobilisation efforts.
Some residents have, however, suggested that although the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Treaty on trade does not permit any member state to repatriate foreigners to their countries of origin, it is imperative that some form of legislature be put in place to help protect local traders and bring sanity into the business sector.
“As the hub of business, the Northern Region is endowed with all kinds of business set-ups, but the level of patronage for some of the goods and services is so low that it does not encourage economic growth,” the residents further stated.
While the local traders have called for “a positive discrimination” towards them in the area of trade, some of the foreign traders have also pledged to abide by the laws and regulations governing their business activities.
Some local traders further lauded the idea of the formation of such an association, stressing that it was a step in the right direction, while their foreign counterparts acknowledged it and expressed the desire to take a cue from the association.
Others have observed that the PTA would enable businessmen and businesswomen in the metropolis to stand for their rights and make them more assertive in their transactions.
They also noted, for instance, that the issue of lack of credit facilities would now be history, as the PTA could enter into an agreement with some financial institutions for its members to access credit facilities.
It is, therefore, hoped that the leadership of the PTA would implement to the letter what the organisation stands for in order to boost the confidence that traders repose in it and promote a healthy business environment in the sprawling metropolis.
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