Regional Minister sees prospect in street market system

• Published date: 11 February 2019
• Publication title: Business and Financial Times

As local authorities face fresh challenges removing hawkers and traders from roads leading to the newly redeveloped Kejetia Market, the Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah, has said a 'street market' system could be considered, sooner or later.

The street market, as done in Liverpool, in the United Kingdom, could be implemented in a particular day of the week while halting vehicular movement to Kumasi's main trading hub, Kejetia, the Minister said in an interview on local radio.

It is seen that this could further boost trading activities while opening up other avenues for added economic gains.

Local authorities, on the other hand, could also explore the opportunity to levy traders to maintain sanitation around the trading areas while contributing to local coffers.

This comes as affected traders react with mixed feelings to the directive to cease trading and hawking activities on roads and routes leading to the Kejetia Market, which takes effect today, February 11, 2019.

The Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council (ARCC) together with the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), gave the directive for traders and hawkers...