The Federation of Kumasi Traders has raised concerns about the prolonged silence from the Government regarding the reconstruction of the burnt section of the Kejetia Market, which was ravaged almost a year ago.
Despite promises to refurbish the affected area and facilitate the return of traders, little progress has been made, leaving many without a means of livelihood.
Nearly a year after the fire outbreak, the leadership of the trader groups highlighted that most affected members are still out of business. They also reminded the Government of its commitment to provide financial support to the victims who lost their livelihoods.
Nana Akwasi Prempeh, President of the Federation of Kumasi Traders, called on the Government to expedite the renovation and reopening of the business place.
Despite expectations for the management and the Central government to address the situation at the beginning of the year, there has been no progress.
He expressed concern about the lack of action on the burnt shops, stating, “It’s been almost a year now since that fire incident happened, which was made up of about 55 shops -33 were burnt completely, 19 partially and there were other shops within that enclave that had been cordoned off.
“As I speak to you now, nothing has been done about the burnt shops. We don’t know when the construction is going to start, who is going to bear the cost of the reconstruction and even the affected traders how they are going to restart their business.”
In addition, he urged authorities to promptly address issues with metering at the market, highlighting the traders’ payment for electricity bills without receiving the provided meters, leading to unreasonable monthly charges.