Kumasi Central market traders vow to resist reconstruction

Kumasi, June 19, GNA - Traders of the Kumasi Central Market have vowed to resist any attempt by the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) to deprive them of their livelihood.

They insisted that the assembly should allow them to reconstruct the market instead of giving it to private developers who would charge exorbitant rent and thereby deny them access to the stores after the completion of the project.

At a forum in Kumasi on Thursday to brief the traders and other stakeholders on the report of the Committee set up by the Regional Security Committee (REGSEC) to investigate the causes of the recent fire outbreak in the market, the traders said they did not trust the assembly to give the stores back to them after the reconstruction. Despite the assurances by the KMA Chief Executive, Mr Samuel Sarpong, that they would be given the first option after the completion of the project, the traders, some of whom wore mourning clothes and red arm bands, said they could not also afford the high cost which might be charged by the developers.

Some of the traders, especially victims of the recent fire outbreak, spoke against the time given to them to vacate the market for the reconstruction to begin and said that would compound their financial problems.

However, Mr Kofi Opoku Manu, Ashanti Regional Minister and Chairman of REGSEC, said reconstruction works to develop the market into a modern market complex would begin in two months time. He said the reconstruction of the market, which had been on the drawing board since 1986, would have to start.

The Minister said the annual ritual of fire outbreaks in the market which was first constructed in 1934, should be a thing of the past. Mr Opoku Manu said about 5,242,030.00 Ghana cedis worth of items were lost during the outbreak while 239 stores and 430 stalls were destroyed. Mr Sarpong told the traders that the assembly was developing some satellite markets in the metropolis to accommodate them while the reconstruction works continued.

He said the project would be undertaken in phases and that affected traders would be made to return when work in their area was completed. Mr sarpong said the reconstruction of the market would provide about 30,000 stores and stalls and that each of the traders would have a place to sell.