The Kejetia Market in the Ashanti Region has been disconnected again from the national power grid due to a GH¢7 million debt owed to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).

This recent disconnection, which occurred about a week ago, has left the market reliant on an alternative power plant to meet its energy needs.

Traders and customers alike have voiced concerns over the negative impact of the power outage on the market's operations.

With the absence of electricity from the national grid, businesses within the market are facing challenges in maintaining their operations smoothly.

The disruption in power supply has affected various aspects of daily trading activities, leading to frustrations among both traders and customers.

“Power has been disconnected to this facility, and the market is slow because people are not here to buy anything. We were here on Saturday and Friday and couldn’t make any sales. When the lights come on for some time, it goes off again because we rely on the generator set. It has been difficult for us," a trader said in a media interview.

Another trader also said.: “The situation is making us scared because when the lights are off, some criminal elements will take advantage, and the heat is also unbearable.”

Meanwhile, Nana Akwasi Prempeh, the President of the Federation of Kumasi Traders, highlighted the inherent challenges posed by the structure of the market itself.

He explained that the layout and design of the Kejetia Market make it particularly challenging for customers to navigate in the dark, adversely impacting their comfort and perception of the market's security.

“The structure of the market any time the light goes off takes about 30–50 minutes, people who enter into the market to buy our things complain. Some feel the place is too dark, some feel the place isn’t secure, others also feel that they cannot get the right things, and they cannot identify the exact commodity that they want to buy. So they don’t feel comfortable entering our market to buy something. In the long run, it affects us the traders.”