Coordinate activities to decongest Accra

Ngleshie Amanfro (GAR), April 8. GNA - The Ministries of Local Government, Tourism and Modernisation of the Capital City, the Greater Accra Regional Administration, Accra Metropolitan Assembly and District Assemblies in Greater Accra Region have been urged to coordinate their activities in the efforts to decongest the nation's capital.

Such coordination would ensure that the city of Accra was rid of street hawkers and traders without displacing them and ensure that they carried out their economic activities in other parts of the region to boost commercial activities in satellite communities of the capital. This was stated by Mr Okpoti Annang, the Secretary of the Ngleshie Amanfro Market Committee in the Ga West District of the Greater Accra at Amanfro when he spoke to newsmen on Friday.

He called on the Accra Metropolitan Assembly to desist from chasing out traders from the streets of the capital but to encourage them to move to the market to occupy empty sheds "instead of throwing away these traders from trading in Accra in the name of decongesting the Metropolis".

He said such a move apart from promoting commercial activities at the market would also save the traders from losing their investment and enable them to continue contributing towards the economic development of the country.

Mr Annang also appealed to traders whose activities had been disrupted following the demolition of the old Kasoa Market to move to the Amanfro Market instead of folding up their businesses. The Market Committee Secretary stated that the Amanfro Market was strategically located on the main Accra-Winneba Junction highway and not too far from Accra while it was very close to Kasoa.

He also appealed to residents of the area to patronise the market since that would save them the trouble of travelling to Accra to buy their needs, which could be done within their vicinity.

Mr Titus Tokoli, a member of the committee assured traders that they would be given soft terms to enable them own sheds at the market as an incentive and said, "they should feel free to come and sell here, the sheds were built for them and they should come in their numbers". He appealed to the District Assembly to extend electricity and water to the market to ensure security at night and to ensure sanitation since the toilet was a water closet.

Mr Tokoli pointed out that there was a main water pipeline in front of the facility and said "it is just a matter of tapping it to the market," adding that "you know water is very important in that we are dealing with food".

He said that the Assembly should strive to improve facilities at the market since it could generate funds through tolls and other levies, which could be used to finance development in the district that created recently.

Madam Hannah Dechie, Treasurer of the committee appealed to owners of container shops that had been allocated space but had not opened them for commercial activities for the past four years to do so or have their places given to other traders who were ready.

She pointed out that if for any reason they could not do so they should let the committee to know, adding that many people wanted their places.

Madam Dechi warned that, their container shops would be removed and their space given to others ready to work if they did not show up. She stated that the committee including Mr Festus Botwe, Chairman and Mr C K Amoo, Chairman of the Weija Area Council was determined to ensure brisk activities at the market and gave the container owners up to the end of April to start trading or their places would be reallocated.