PRESIDENT AKUFO-ADDO CUTS SOD FOR PHASE II OF KUMASI CENTRAL MARKET REDEVELOPEMENT PROJECT.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has cut thesod for the commencement of the second phase of redevelopment of the Kumasi CentralMarket, the largest open space market in West Africa.
On hand to support the President perform the taskincluded the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the British High Commissioner toGhana, His Excellency Ian Walker, and Hajia Alima Mahama, Minister of LocalGovernment and Rural Development.
Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony on Thursday2nd May, 2019, at Kejetia, the hub of business activities in theKumasi metropolis, the President indicated that the project, in addition tonumerous projects in Asanteman and indeed across the country, demonstrated thegovernment’s unwavering commitment to deliver significant infrastructureprojects that will create jobs and enhance development.
The €248 million project is being financed by theDeutsche Bank of Germany, with export credit guarantee from the United KingdomExport Finance (UKEF).
The construction would be undertaken by Messrs ContractaConstruction Ltd, UK, and expected to be finished within 48 months.
Upon completion, the redeveloped market will havemore than six (6) thousand leasable commercial spaces, 5,400 closed stores, 800kiosks, 50 restaurants, 210 fish mongers and butchers’ stalls, 40 livestockstores and 1800 square kilometers of community facilities.
It would also provide other essential facilitiessuch as waste treatment plant, police and fire stations.
President Akufo-Addo was confident that the redevelopmentof the Kumasi Central Market and the delivery of associated infrastructure willhelp address and mitigate the underlying causes of fire outbreaks in thismarket.
It is anticipated that the project would create somenine hundred (900) direct jobs and 2,500 indirect jobs, improve the safety andsecurity of traders and consumers, provide better conditions for mobility inthe area, while allowing traders to receive their merchandise and customers toalso access the market in a safer and more organized manner.
“I appeal to all of you, city authorities, traders,customers and residents to support and cooperate with the Contractor, MessrsContracta Construction Ltd., in order to complete this project on time. I knowI can count on all of you in this regard”, the President remarked.
The President assured the Asantehene that hisgovernment was committed to putting the country onto the path of broad progressand prosperity, by enhancing the living standards of all Ghanaians.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu, who had been instrumental insecuring the market project for Kumasi, urged the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly(KMA) to ensure that traders who lost their stalls, following the execution ofthe first phase of the Kejetia/Central Market Redevelopment project, should begiven the first priority in the allocation of the stores.
Also, the relocation of traders to the completedmarket should be swift for the benefit of the masses.
HE Walker, in a brief statement, indicated that theconstruction of the Central Market would help open Kumasi, Ghana’s oldestexisting and the second largest city, to the entire sub-Region.
He was hopeful to come back in eighteen months’ timeto see the progress of work on the project.
Hajia Mahama praised the KMA and stakeholders forthe good work done for the smooth implementation of the project.