The Head of the Business and Economic Bureau at the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA), Charles Kusi Appiah, has called for a comprehensive plan to improve market structures across the country.

Speaking on the AM Show on JoyNews on Monday, March 24, he stressed the need for strategic policies to prevent incidents like the recent Adum market fire.

According to Mr Appiah, a well-planned market system should include regular integrity assessments of electrical wiring, building structures, and accessibility to markets. He emphasised that such measures would help identify and rectify potential hazards before disasters occur.

“I think going forward, we should have a good plan for our marketplaces and structures. It should be a policy that, every year or so, there will be an integrity assessment of the wiring system, building structures, and market accessibility. If there are any anomalies, proactive corrections should be made to avoid some of these unfortunate incidents,” he stated.

Mr Appiah also urged market players to embrace insurance policies as a safeguard against unforeseen disasters. He stressed that insurance companies should be more proactive in educating traders on the benefits of coverage and provide assurance that claims will be honoured in times of need.

“The insurance people should be interested in taking up such responsibilities. It all boils down to education. They need to give market traders the confidence that if they take an insurance policy and are affected by fire or any natural disaster, they will be supported,” he added.

Mr Appiah further criticised city authorities for their failure to regulate markets before disasters occur. He argued that officials should focus on providing solutions rather than blaming traders after an incident.

“These traders did not occupy these spaces overnight, they have been there for years. We have city authorities what have they done about it? When people are affected and are in distress, it is not the time to tell them they were in unathourised spaces. It is the time to give them hope and a future,” he said.

He called on authorities to develop a proper business continuity plan for all market sectors, ensuring that affected traders are provided with alternative spaces to continue their businesses. He insisted that city planners must take responsibility by designating proper trading spaces and enforcing regulations before disasters occur.

“When you fail in your responsibility as a city planner and our market is destroyed by an inferno, you lose the moral right to tell us the affected area was unauthorised and therefore no help will be provided. That is unacceptable. Bring solutions to the people first, and then take up your responsibility to demarcate and regulate markets properly,” he said.