14-10-2011
The Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly has vowed to deal drastically with traders who refuse to relocate to the renovated central market. According to the Municipal Chief Executive, Mr. Edward Ayagle, said the refusal of the traders to migrate to the market ten months after it was opened for business was causing the assembly to meet its revenue target. Addressing market women after a tour of the market to observe at first hand, difficulties confronting the traders, Mr. Ayagle noted with regret that out of 600 stalls allocated to the traders, 447 have been locked up and left deserted by the owners. Some store owners, he said have put up temporal structures at the old site for business whilst private individuals who entered into a Built, Operate and Transfer agreement (BOT) with the assembly have also locked up their shops denying possible access for other people to put the facility to use. This, Mr. Ayagle complained, had been an impediment on the assembly’s quest to improve its revenue base as it has crippled efforts of the assembly to meet its developmental needs. Mr. Ayagle warned traders to relocate to the central market; failure he further warned, will leave the assembly no option than to demolished all structures to pave way for an ultra-modern market facility. He therefore made a passionate appeal to traders still occupying the new market to move to the renovated market. Responding to a plea from the traders, the MCE said the assembly will create access road in the market to allow for easy offloading of goods and food stuffs. Emphasizing on the issue of sanitation, Mr Ayagle encouraged the market women to carry out regular clean-up exercises to help keep the market clean and healthy. He said the assembly is much concerned of sanitation issues and is bent of dealing with people who litter indiscriminately. A spokesperson of the traders, Mr. Michael Zong, said almost all traders are operating at a lost as a result of a spilt in the market in the municipality. He added that a number of them dealing in perishable goods have had to throw always their produce due to lack of market. He therefore pleaded with the officials of the municipal assembly to bring all the traders to one spot to traders to resuscitate the vibrancy of the Bolgatanga Market and help the assembly boost internal revenue generation.
GBC END IA/
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