Traders call for expansion of Paga market, connection to national grid

Traders at the Paga market in the Kassena-Nankana West District have appealed to the government and other stakeholders to help expand the market and connect it to the national grid to improve trading conditions and safeguard their health.

The traders, predominantly women, said the current state of the market was inadequate to accommodate the growing number of users, forcing them to operate in congested conditions that posed serious health risks.

They appealed a mini durbar organised to honour Mr Wenowome Duriyen Aborah, the Managing Director of Kacstone Records, for refurbishing their market sheds at a cost of GH¢24,258.00 to improve economic activities.

Samitu Kumuriwo, Spokesperson for the Paga Market Women Traders Association, said the market had become too small due to increasing commercial activities in the area.

“Development has come, and the market is now too small for us. When we come, we are forced to squeeze ourselves,” she said.

She warned that the congestion could facilitate the spread of communicable diseases among traders and customers.

“In case of a communicable disease, we can easily contract it because we cannot even breathe well in the market,” she added.

Ms Kumuriwo also highlighted the lack of electricity as a major challenge affecting business operations, especially for traders dealing in perishable goods.

“We do not have light in the market, and this affects our work seriously. We appeal to the government to connect the market to the national grid to support our businesses,” she said.

She raised concerns about poor sanitation, noting that traders currently had no designated place to dispose of waste.

“We don’t even have a place to pour our rubbish. The place we used to use, we are now being driven away because the land has been sold,” she explained.

The traders said that although they had heard about the government’s proposed 24-hour economy market initiative through the media, they had not received any official communication on whether Paga would benefit from the policy.

“We hear about the 24-hour economy on the radio and television, but nobody has officially informed us about any project here. If it is coming, the government should speed up so that we can also benefit,” Ms Kumuriwo added.

Some traders who spoke to the Ghana News Agency said recent improvements to parts of the market, including the renovation of sheds by private individuals, had brought some relief, but stressed that more comprehensive support was needed.

Augustine Apere, a Tailor at the market, said that while the roofing of sheds had improved conditions during the rainy times, the broader infrastructure challenges remained.

“What has been done is good, but we still need expansion, electricity, and proper sanitation to make the market a better place for all of us,” he said.

The traders appealed to the government, development partners, and philanthropists to support the transformation of the Paga market into a modern trading hub to enhance livelihoods and promote local economic growth.