The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has restored power to the Kejetia market after acknowledging receipt of 20 per cent of debts owed by the commercial hub in Kumasi.

Traders have endured one week of trading without electricity after power was disconnected due to over ¢5 million in debt.

Traders at the market greeted the return of power with wild jubilation.

“They came here yesterday with a cheque for the first payment, 20 per cent, hence reconnecting the power. We are looking forward to another meeting, so we draw the payment plan” Grace Gershon is the PRO of ECG in the Ashanti Region.

As part of reconnection negotiations, the ECG demanded payment of 20 per cent of the market’s indebtedness, followed by a road map for servicing the arears.

The Kejetia Market has over eight thousand stalls and other spaces for trade.

Per the architecture, the market depends heavily on electricity to keep it illuminated.

Since the disconnection, the market has been dark and quiet as traders depend heavily on rechargeable lamps and torch lights.

The business has been heavily affected.

Kofi Duffuor explains, “business virtually went down by seventy five percent. No trader in the market is operating at half because the basic ingredient we  need at Kejetia to do good business is electricity”, he said.

Meanwhile, the company has strengthened efforts to retrieve debts owed by consumers.