Eject traders on the streets of Accra – Minister

Mr Ishmael Ashietey, the Greater Accra Regional Minister has urged the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) not to hesitate to eject traders from the streets of Accra.

He expressed dismay at the continuous stay of traders on the streets and said: “This is causing a lot of inconveniences to both human and vehicular traffic and has created problems for business transactions in the city.”

Mr Ashietey gave the advice when he inaugurated 176 Councilors for the 10 sub-metros of the AMA.

Mr Ashietey said the traders who had abandoned their sheds in the markets to occupy the streets have caused the littering and filth on the streets and therefore, the AMA should ensure that they went back into the markets for free movement of persons and vehicular traffic.

He told the councilors that: “Your work is very important because you offer critical services to the people in the communities.”

Mr Ashietey said the Legislative Instrument (LI) 2223 empowered the Sub-metropolitan District Councils to keep records of rateable property, fix and collect rates and fees, promote and safeguard public health, responsible for the management of waste, and the prevention of the erection of stalls at undesignated areas.

“It is significant to note that as cities grow and the population increases, its management also calls for the establishment of strong and resilient sub-structures that would help ensure effective implementation of the decentralisation process,” he said.

The Regional Minister said the councils should live up to expectation by ensuring that unauthorised structures and buildings were not allowed on water ways to make the environment conducive for human habitation.

Mr Ashietey said the development challenges of Accra required that the AMA mobilised adequate revenue from the local sources to complement the efforts of the central government in funding projects.

“It is sad that majority of the Assemblies still rely mostly on the District Assembly Common Fund and donors for the greater part of their budgetary requirement to finance development programme,” adding that; “as Councillors you have to think outside the box and come up with innovative ways of collecting revenue for the assembly,” he advised.

Mr Aboagye Tandoh, a Circuit Court Judge administered the oath of office on the Councillors.