Scores of petty traders have taken to the streets of Kasoa to protest a proposed redevelopment of a section of the Kasoa Old market to make way for permanent stores, fearing the move will cost them their livelihoods.
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Seth Sabah Serwonoo-Banini, confirmed that the redevelopment plan would see some existing structures removed to accommodate the new project.
According to the Kasoa Petty Traders Association, around 1,300 of its members will be directly affected, with several hundred more traders likely to lose their stalls, threatening their primary source of income.
“The MCE didn’t fulfill an earlier agreement we had but he has given us up to tomorrow 27TH March to vacate this area for demolition. We have nowhere to go. We have over a thousand members that will be affected,” one of the traders told Citi News.
The association said official communications from the assembly indicated that the completed project will only accommodate 800 traders, raising concerns about both accessibility and affordability once the new stores are operational.
Some traders have also expressed fears that the project could complicate future road expansion works, while highlighting a lack of consultation by the assembly over the proposed changes.
In response, the traders have resolved to petition the Ministry of Trade and the Local Government Ministry, urging intervention to prevent the planned demolitions.
