The reconstruction of the Kumasi Central Business District, CBD, has received massive boost as Members of Parliament in the city massively endorse the immediate takeoff of the project.

At a special stakeholders’ meeting in Kumasi on Monday, one after the other, the MPs including Isaac Osei, Subi; Akoto Osei, Tafo; Matthew Opoku Prempeh, Manhyia South; Elizabeth Agyemang, Oforikrom; Collins Owusu Amankwa, Manhyia North; Dr. Richard Anane, Nhyiaeso; and Madam Patricia Appagyei, Asokwa constituencies among others, took turn to charge the traders and transporters to endeavor to cooperate with the KMA to ensure that the redevelopment of the Central market and the Kejetia Lorry terminal is done without any hindrance whatsoever.

This, they asserted is because, the time has come for the place to be given the much needed facelift to a state of the art market and lorry park to help beautify the city and also give the traders and transporters the needed security and safety they require to undertake their respective business activities.

The MPs called on the KMA to ensure that traders and transporters will not lose their shops and stalls as well as spaces after the execution of the three-phase project which is expected to take off by the end of March this year.

The Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr Samuel Sarpong also led a delegation from the Ashanti Regional Security Council that included the Commander of the Northern Command of the Ghana Armed Forces, Brigadier General, J.A Boampong, the Regional Commander of the Ghana Police Service, DCOP Nathan Kofi Boakye as well as heads of all security agencies in the Region.

The media, transporters and traders were also present to assure the KMA of their respective cooperation and unflinching support for the reconstruction of the 298 million dollars Brazilian loan project.

Messrs Jorge Tavares de Almeida and Carlos Gala, Project director and Project Manager respectively of the Brazilian construction firm, CONTRACTA Engenharia Limited also participated in the heavily attended event.

The Mayor of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, Kojo Bonsu assured traders and transport owners and operators that they will not be denied allocations to stores, shops or stalls on completion of the project.

He stressed the need for total support and cooperation to ensure the success of what he called enviable facelift of the central market and Kejetia lorry park to merit its status as one of the biggest and most populous markets on the African continent.

Traders at the Kejetia lorry park would be relocated to the Adehyeman and Royal markets, while traders from the Central market would be relocated to the Race Course, Sofoline and Abinkyi markets immediately the places are sorted to make way for the multi-million dollar Brazilian loan facilities.

According to Mayor Bonsu, phase one is made up of construction work at the Kejetia Lorry Park in a period of 24 months, while the Second and third phases would focus on the redevelopment of the Central Market.

Already the Lands Valuation Board has been commissioned to consider valuations in order to compensate owners of buildings that would be affected by the redevelopment of the CBD.

Biometric registration of traders has also commenced to capture the rightful owners of stores for consideration for compensation. This Mr. Bonsu explained, is to ensure that the traders have the first option in the allocation of stores on completion of the project, which he emphasized, is “a-must-do” project.
The redevelopment of the Central Market will provide 45,000 stores as against the current 12,000 stores.