City authorities in Sunyani design satellite markets to promote social distancing

As part of measures to ensure traders and buyers adhere to social distancing protocol and reduce over-crowding in the various markets, the Sunyani Municipal Assembly has demarcated specific areas in the Municipality for the populace to buy and sell.

With support from the Municipal COVID-19 task force, the city authorities have segmented traders and design satellite markets for them to sell their produce.

Traders in vegetable and foodstuffs, as well as second-hand clothing, footwear and other commodities, are undertaking their economic activities at six satellite markets in the Municipality.

When the Ghana News Agency (GNA) visited some of the satellite markets on Wednesday, economic activities were going on smoothly, but traders complained about poor sales.

Business activities at the Nana Bosoma Central Market are always brisk on Wednesdays, which are market days in Sunyani as petty traders, market women and dealers in all sorts of items gathered at the market.

There is high human and vehicular traffic during these days as most dealers in second clothing and footwear move from the Ashanti region to do business.

The traders however lauded the move and other steps being put in place by the city authorities to stem the spread of the COVID-19, and called on the Assembly to intensify media education so that it would be easy for buyers to identify the various markets.

Veronica buckets, soaps, tissue papers and sanitizers were sighted at the markets to aid handwashing with soap under running water.

Traders in second-hand clothing, handbags, shoes, and footwear, are relocated to sell at the Jubilee Park while those engaged in fruits and vegetables are selling at Area Two around the Twene Amanfo Senior High and Technical schools.

Crops - root and tubers such as cassava, plantain, yam, maize and others are being sold at the premises of the Sunyani Coronation Park, while dealers in meat, spices, oil and provisions are maintained at the Nana Bosoma Central Market.

Meanwhile, a statement issued by the Municipal Assembly and signed by Madam Justina Owusu-Banahene, the Sunyani Municipal Chief Executive advised traders to comply with the new measures.

A copy of the statement made available to the GNA indicated the assembly in collaboration with the Sunyani Traditional Council and the Municipal Security Council decided as a means to ensure the populace complied with government directives on the COVID-19.

“The Assembly in a meeting with market women agreed on all traders in the Nana Bosoma central market and the Central Business District must split to ease congestion and stem the spread of the COVID-19”, it added.

The statement added with effect from Thursday, April 16, 2020, all a taskforce would go round and ensure that traders adhere to the new directive, warning that those who would be found culpable would not be spared.