Government is in the process of reviewing and finalizing report on fire outbreaks at various market centers across the country.

Following the fire outbreaks, the government commissioned an Audit Committee including the Trade Ministry and the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) to look into causes of these fire incidents and find a lasting solution to the perennial canker.

Several thousands of cedis of properties have been lost as a result of the fire outbreaks.

Trade Minister, Alan Kyerematen told Joy Business when he toured the stalls at the Makola Market which was ravaged by fire that government is committed to ensuring this recurrent bane is addressed once and for all.

“This is a multi-stakeholder exercise and the Ministry of Trade and Industry is involved, the Ministry for Local Government and Rural Development is involved, the Ministry of Interior is involved as well as the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies. The Fire Service is also involved. So this is the approach that we are adopting and we are also working with GUTA”.

He further said “after the joint review exercise, we can now develop a policy and programme that will permanently deal with this challenge.

President of GUTA, Dr. Joseph Obeng, for his part called for a quick unveiling of the report to bring a permanent solution to the fire outbreak.

“We want the reports that have been gathered so that we can evaluate; that committees should be set so that we can proffer solutions to this [fire outbreak] permanently because this shouldn’t reoccur”.

He added that “it’s getting so worrying and it keeps on consuming the little capital that we have. I mean we cannot afford this”.