The Mayor of Accra, Michael Kpakpo Allotey, has directly engaged street hawkers in parts of the Central Business District today, ahead of a major decongestion exercise slated to begin on Tuesday, May 20.

Mayor Kpakpo Allotey, who was accompanied by the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for the Korle Klottey Municipal Assembly, on Saturday, walked through key areas in the metropolis to appeal for cooperation and explain new citywide trading reforms.

The engagement covered Kinbu Road, Kojo Thompson Road, Sempe Road, Swanzy Road, Guggisberg Avenue, Market Street, Okaishie Road, Kantamanto Street, Nsawam Road, Paa Grant Street, as well as other areas earmarked for clearance in the first phase of the exercise.

Addressing the hawkers and traders, Mayor Allotey said the operation was a necessity, not an act of aggression, stressing that the exercise aimed to clean Accra and make it a model capital for the sub-region.

“This morning, we are here for good, this is not just Accra, this is Ghana, and anyone who enters Ghana enters Accra. Look around, if this were your home, would you keep it like this?” he questioned hawkers, he asked.

The Mayor used the opportunity to announce several measures under the government’s 24-hour economy agenda, including the installation of solar-powered street lights and a new rotational trading system that would allow traders to sell for longer hours on selected days.

“We will fix solar lights that work even without electricity,” he stated, adding, “We will block some parts of the roads three to four times a month so that you can trade for 24 hours.”

Mr Allotey also outlined a new ticketing policy to ease the financial burden on traders, cautioning that traders who evade ticket payments would be penalised.

“We all know the dollar is coming down, so it should reflect in your cost of doing business. If you are paying GHS60.00 a week for tickets, we will reduce it to GHS40.00. If you pay GHS30.00, it will be reduced to GHS 20.00. And if you buy tickets for two months and bring them to my office, I will reward you, because you are a good citizen. if you don’t pay and we catch you, we will charge you ten times the actual price,” he warned.

Mayor Allotey passionately urged hawkers to vacate the streets by Tuesday to allow sanitation and order to be restored.

“Please leave the street. I’m begging you. When you leave the street, we can clean the city. We will come and demarcate the area so that three people can rotate in one space, each selling for eight hours.”

He cautioned that any wares left on the streets after the deadline would be confiscated and donated to prisons or orphanages.

“If we return on Tuesday and your things are still here, they won’t return to you,” he said.

“We will give them to those who need them.We are aware of your complaints, including issues with other nationals taking over your spots. I’m engaging the market leaders and we’ll address those concerns too,” he assured.

In an appeal for partnership, Mayor Allotey told the traders, “Help me to help you. My doors are always open 24/7. Don’t pay money to anyone to see me. Just walk into my office.”

Mayor Kpakpo Allotey reiterated that the decongestion was not meant to destroy livelihoods, but to reset the capital into a cleaner, more secure, and fairer trading environment under the leadership of President John Dramani Mahama.

“This city is very dirty, but with your help, we can clean it. Let’s make Accra a place of pride,” the Mayor said. “This is the beginning of something new.”