Mallam Atta traders urge government to speed up 24-hour market redevelopment
Traders at the Mallam Atta Market in Accra have urged the government to speed up the ongoing redevelopment of the facility, saying the relocation and demolition of shops have negatively affected their businesses, customer base and sales.
Although the traders support the redevelopment project being undertaken as part of the government’s 24-hour economy agenda, they said the movement of businesses has made it difficult for some customers to find their usual shops.
They made the appeal during an engagement with the Ayawaso Central Municipal Assembly as part of consultations on annual revenue rates.
A food vendor at the market, Tawulo, acknowledged that trading activities have continued despite the demolition but called for the project to be completed as quickly as possible to help businesses regain their customers.
She said only the first and second phases of the market had so far been demolished and appealed to the government to accelerate the remaining work.
The traders also highlighted other challenges, including blocked drains, inadequate street lighting and security concerns.
They called for the drainage system to be urgently addressed to improve sanitation and reduce the risk of flooding in and around the market.
The traders further appealed to the Assembly to maintain the current revenue rates, arguing that businesses were already struggling because of the redevelopment activities.
The Presiding Member of the Ayawaso Central Municipal Assembly, Alexander Kwame Mensah Tumasi, explained that the engagement was part of the Assembly’s annual consultations with ratepayers ahead of setting revenue rates.
He said the consultations give the Assembly an opportunity to listen to traders and determine whether existing rates should be increased, maintained or reduced.
Mr Tumasi said the displacement of traders under the 24-hour economy project had affected their businesses because some customers were unable to locate their regular shops, resulting in reduced sales.
He therefore indicated that the Assembly would maintain the existing fees rather than increase them, having considered the concerns raised by the traders.
The Municipal Chief Executive for Ayawaso Central, Rudolf Collinwoode Williams, said the Assembly holds consultations with traders each year to discuss revenue rates and make the collection process more manageable for both businesses and the local authority.
He said the engagements were also aimed at ensuring that the concerns of ratepayers were taken into account when setting the rates.
The traders are now calling for the redevelopment to be completed quickly, alongside improvements to drainage, street lighting and security.
While supporting efforts to modernise the market, they stressed the need for the transition to protect the livelihoods of traders who rely on the facility for their daily income.
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