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Traders at the Kumasi Central Market want city authorities to reduce the amount to be charged before they are relocated to the newly constructed Kejetia terminal to allow for construction works to begin for the phase two of the Kejetia Central Market redevelopment project.
They are also calling for a review of the requirement which says they should renew the arrangement after five years or they will resist any attempt to relocate them.
They said there is also a provision which says they are supposed to sign an undertaking indicating that they cannot claim ownership to the shops once the project is completed; another issue they are opposing.
The traders say they had plans of embarking on a demonstration to make their grievances known but were not allowed to do so since they had not satisfied requirements in line with the public order act.
They massed up at the market to interact with the media but they said some military and police personnel were deployed to the area to disperse them.
According to the traders, the new arrangement will put them in a disadvantaged position.
They want authorities to critically address their concerns before relocating them.
“We don’t have a problem with moving us from the central market to Kejetia but our main problem is that they talked about certain conditions that we will be paying renewal every five years. We will not accept that. We will just pay our tolls and our monthly dues. So KMA and the government telling us we will be paying renewal, we absolutely object it. There is no way we will accept that,” one trader stated.
“We are not against the construction of the project. We agree with them. They are relocating us to Kejetia and that they will be taking 45,000 Ghana cedis from us and we would have to renew after five years. That would be almost 100,000 Ghana cedis. Traders here at the central market decided to organize a meeting. We were not demonstrating but KMA called for the police and military to come here as if we are at a war zone,” another indicated.
Petty traders in the market also say they have not been factored in the new arrangement and as a result, they would be out of business if they are not considered.
They are calling on city authorities to include them in the arrangement.
Speaking to Citi News, the Public Relations Officer of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, Henrietta Afia Konadu said the Assembly has met the traders and is considering some of their concerns.
Source: citinewsroom.com
