New Kasoa market to start February 15

Winneba (C/R), Feb. 12, GNA - The Awutu-Effutu-Senya District Assembly (AESDA) on Friday held an emergency meeting to iron out some of the problems hindering the movement of the Kasoa market from its old place to its multi-million cedis new site.

The assembly unanimously agreed that traders should start moving to the new market from Saturday February 12 to Tuesday February 15, which would be a major market-day.

The new market was about 94 per cent completed when it was commissioned in December last year but the traders pleaded for enough time to prepare to move in by January 2005, but as at now, they have not been able to do so due to some problems.

The assembly constructed the market with assistance from the government and the World Banks to among other things to give way for the construction of the Accra-Winneba-Yamoransa road. It was also agreed that adequate security be put in place to protect traders at the new market, also to ensure peace, following the tension over the allocation of space and sheds.

Earlier, assembly members from Kasoa had briefed the assembly that the double sale of plot, space and sheds to traders by different allocation committees created the misunderstanding that hindered the opening of the new market at the scheduled period. According to them about 6000 traders have applied for space at the market that has about 1500 sheds, forcing some of the committees to charge about 1.5 million cedis for a space for a container.

The District Chief Executive, Captain Steve Kwamena Armah and the Presiding member of the assembly, Mr Kwesi Esseku later told the assembly that the Ministry of Road Transport is worried over the continued existence of the market at the old site. According to him the continued stay of the old market was affecting the construction work on the Mallam-Kasoa-Yamoransa truck road, which forms part of the West African Highways.