KOBA, AMA agree on annual BOP for Kantamanto traders

The Kantamanto Obroniwawu Businesses Association (KOBA) and the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) have reached an agreement for traders at the Kantamanto Market to pay an annual Business Operating Permit fee of GH¢100.00 for each individual shop.

The agreement, which followed months of negotiation between the two parties, is aimed at easing the financial burden on traders, many of whom are still recovering from the devastating fire that swept through parts of the market in January 2025.

In a statement signed by the General Secretary of KOBA, Adwutuwm Atta Manu, the association said the new Business Operating Permit arrangement came into effect on May 11, 2026.

According to KOBA, the decision was reached after considering the difficult economic conditions facing traders in the market, including the cost of rebuilding their businesses after the fire, rising bale prices and concerns over the declining quality of second-hand clothing in bales.

The association said the agreed fee structure was intended to provide meaningful relief to market members while ensuring that traders continued to comply with the operational requirements of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly.

It said KOBA executives were encouraging all members of the association and traders within the market to cooperate with AMA representatives when approached for the payment of the annual Business Operating Permit.

The General Secretary said KOBA was aware of the many financial constraints affecting its members, particularly the increase in bale prices and other pressures facing traders in the second-hand clothing business.

The statement said the association was pleased to have reached the agreement with the AMA, noting that the arrangement would save members a total of GH¢524.00.

It described the outcome of the negotiations as a testament to the strong working relationship between KOBA and the AMA, as well as the association’s commitment to acting in the best interest of the traders it represents.

The Association called on all market members to cooperate with the AMA in implementing the agreement, adding that unity and collaboration remained important to the market's recovery and progress.

KOBA was established in July 2025 following the January 2025 fire, which destroyed about 60 percent of the Kantamanto Market in Accra, one of the largest second-hand clothing markets in the world.

The association, which is supported by the Ghanaian non-governmental organisation, The Or Foundation, brings together leaders from all 16 sections of the market and represents about 30,000 traders and retailers to advocate on behalf of traders and retailers in the market with a single and unified voice, particularly on issues affecting their welfare, recovery and business operations.