Coronavirus: Importers and traders may close their shops due to the shortage of goods

The COVID-19 pandemic seems not only to be putting pressure on health systems globally but also threatening economic activities nationwide.

The Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) has said that goods may short by May 2020 since importers are unable to do business with China, the source of the disease.

At the Opera Square in Accra, which is one of Ghana’s major commercial centres, some traders said they may close down their shops because they are running out of stock.

The traders explained that most of the items they sell are imported from other countries and they have not travelled to purchase goods since the final quarter of 2019.

Some traders at the Opera Square were sitting idle in their shops, waiting for buyers to throng the shops.

The President of the Ghana Electrical Dealers Association (GEDA), Kwamena Koranteng, told Accra-based Citi FM that this has been the situation for about a week. He said people have reduced their visits to the markets for fear of contracting the virus.

“We realized since last week that people are not coming to the market to buy our goods and it is definitely because of the virus,” he said.

Other traders are almost out of goods. They explain that they have to travel to China or Dubai to stock their shops.

But due to the coronavirus pandemic, they have had to put their plans on hold due.

One of such is the Organizer for the Ghana Electrical Dealers Association, Hajia Moena Buari. She said that she has already increased the prices of some of her goods.

“I have already increased because I don’t have much. All that I have is almost finished so I have to increase it to make small profit. Those that were selling at GHC20, are now between GHC25 and GHC28. Those selling at GHC50 are now Ghc55 to GHC60.”

“The fear is that we have to close down our shops because we can’t get goods to sell. When I run out of these things I have to close down the shop; that’s it”, she added.