Traders at Kasoa are appealing to President John Dramani Mahama to intervene in a decision by the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) to remove the temporary shops they have been using to sell their goods.
Speaking on Nyankonton Mu Nsem on Rainbow Radio 87.5 FM, Mr Isaac Boakye explained that the traders depend on small businesses in the area for their daily survival.
According to him, most of them buy their goods from Kasoa and sell there to earn a small income, and they cannot afford to rent big stores.
He said the traders have been selling at the same place in Kasoa for about 22 years.
He explained that when the government noticed that the umbrellas used by traders had taken over the area and were slowing down movement, the assembly decided to build temporary container shops for them to use instead.
Mr Boakye stated that the then MCE, Hon. Essuman Mensah, supervised the process and spoke with a contractor to construct the temporary shops.
The traders were asked to contribute money for the project, which they agreed to because they were told it was a temporary arrangement in case the government later decided to expand the road.
He explained that the shops were finally given to them in 2021, and they have been selling there since then.
However, he said after the change in government last year, a new MCE was appointed in Kasoa, and he informed the traders that the temporary shops would be removed so that new stores could be built at the location.
Mr Boakye said the traders have had several discussions with the MCE about the issue over the past year.
The MCE recently met them together with the contractor and informed them that work would soon begin to remove the existing shops and construct new stores.
He stressed that the place is not large enough for such a project because it is very close to the pavement, and several utility companies, such as Ghana Water, ECG and telecommunication companies, have their underground cables along the stretch.
In such situations, he said, the traders are sometimes asked to move temporarily for the workers to fix faults before they return to continue their business.
He therefore argued that building permanent structures there will create more problems.
Mr Boakye further revealed that about 800 traders currently operate at the place, but the new project will only provide about 180 stores in a two-storey building.
According to him, the authorities have also indicated that each store will cost about GH₵100,000 after construction.
He said the arrangement means many of the traders will lose their trading space because not everyone will be able to get a shop. In some cases, he added, about five to ten people may have to share one store.
He stressed that many of the traders are widows and unemployed people who depend on the small trading activities to survive, adding that there are very few job opportunities in Kasoa.
Mr Boakye said the traders have explained their concerns to both the MCE and the contractor, but they have insisted that the existing structures will be demolished and replaced with the new stores.
He therefore appealed to the government, the president and other authorities to intervene and speak to the MCE so that the traders can continue to operate peacefully at the location.
By: Justina Ekua
