The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has started allocating stores to traders at the new Kejetia Market.
The first phase of the allocation exercise will see one thousand five hundred traders being catered for.
Traders trooped to the market last Saturday and many were in Joyous mood as they gathered at the Quashie Idun Hall at the Centre for National Culture in Kumasi to receive their allocation letters.
Mr Osei Assibey Antwi who is the Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) for Kumasi says traders who received their allocation letters were at liberty to begin trading at the market.
He said a month’s grace period had been given those who were yet to pay for their allocations.
A team of seven people, comprising three assembly members and four technocrats, with the support of some national service persons and some KMA staff, monitored the allocation exercise.
The market project, which started in July 2015 and cost $298 million, was to have been completed in January 2018 but was delayed due to court actions initiated by some individuals against the KMA.
The newly-constructed market constitutes the first phase of the multi-million dollar Kejetia/Central Redevelopment Project, executed by Messrs. Contracta Engeharia LTDa, a Brazilian firm.
It comprises 8,420 leasable commercial spaces – 6,490 lockable stores, 1,420 counter stores and 60 food courts.
Other facilities include public transport terminal, banking facilities, police and fire stations, fuel and gas storage tanks, amongst others.
The second phase is due to start soon, and being financed by the Deutsche Bank of Germany, with export credit guarantee from the United Kingdom (UK) Export Finance.
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