A coalition of trade unions and market associations in the Ashanti Region has announced plans to stage a peaceful demonstration to demand the immediate resumption of work on the delayed Phase II of the Kumasi Central Market redevelopment project.
The Coalition of Trade Unions (CTU), in a statement issued on Monday, July 20, said the prolonged suspension of the project has left thousands of traders grappling with severe economic hardship after years of displacement.
The coalition accused the government of failing to honour repeated assurances that construction would resume after the current administration assumed office, saying traders had anticipated swift action but had instead been met with continued delays.
According to the group, many affected traders remain at temporary trading locations, including the Racecourse, Adum and other parts of Kumasi, where overcrowding, inadequate facilities and declining patronage have made doing business increasingly difficult.
It said the stalled project has disrupted livelihoods and exacerbated congestion in Kumasi’s central business district, calling on the government to immediately restart construction on the second phase of the redevelopment.
Key demands
The coalition is also demanding that funds collected from traders as premium payments for stalls under Phase I of the project be used exclusively to complete Phase II.
It said the monies, reportedly lodged in accounts at Fidelity Bank and Yaa Asantewaa Rural Bank, should not be diverted for any other purpose.
The group further urged the authorities to implement urgent measures to reduce congestion in Adum and adjoining commercial areas, arguing that the relocation of traders to temporary sites has placed enormous pressure on those locations.
It also proposed that management of the completed Phase I facility be handed over to a professional operations and maintenance company, contending that government-led administration has contributed to overcrowding and operational inefficiencies.
Demonstration planned
The coalition warned that traders’ patience had “been overstretched” and cautioned that if authorities fail to act, some displaced traders may be compelled to occupy available spaces in the unfinished market irrespective of official allocations.
It announced that a large-scale peaceful demonstration would be organised to press home its demands, adding that the date, route and other details of the protest would be communicated in due course.
The Kumasi Central Market redevelopment is one of Ghana’s largest urban renewal projects and is expected to provide modern trading facilities for thousands of traders upon completion. However, delays in executing the second phase have remained a major source of concern for traders and business groups in the Ashanti Region.
The government had not publicly responded to the coalition’s latest demands at the time of publication.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
