Hundreds of traders at Makola No. 2 Market in Accra on Thursday, February 26, staged a protest against what they describe as steep rent increments and a newly imposed 20 per cent VAT, warning that the situation is becoming unsustainable.

Speaking to JoyNews, a market leader, Anthony Kyei Baafi, said the traders are struggling under mounting financial pressure from management and are demanding urgent intervention from the government.

“We want to make it clear that we are here, but we are not comfortable with the situation we find ourselves in,” he said. “We have a management body we deal with called MMC Management Company, and they are under SSNIT. They understand the issues. They have a board of directors.”

According to him, the traders have held more than three meetings this year with the management over rent, taxes and what is termed Common Area Maintenance (CAM) charges which cover electricity, water, security and refuse collection.

He explained that rent has now been separated from CAM charges, and both are increased annually.

“We have engaged them and appealed to them that things should rather be reduced this time,” he said. “We always hear about inflation and the dollar going up. Whenever inflation rises or the dollar increases, they quickly adjust the prices upward, but when things stabilise or go down, nothing changes.”

The traders argue that management recently justified the increment by citing a 20 percent tax imposed by government.

“Their Managing Director, Mr Piah, told us that this year the government has imposed a 20% tax on them, so they are also passing it on to us,” Anthony stated. “But we are asking, if government imposes a tax on you as a company, do you transfer the whole burden onto us within such a short time? We do not understand.”

Beyond the rent and tax concerns, the traders say enforcement measures by management are harsh. They claim shops are locked up when payments are delayed, forcing some traders to borrow money from relatives just to regain access to their goods.

“If you owe them and cannot pay, they lock up your shop. You have to go and look for money before you can come back,” he said. “All your goods remain locked up in the container. If anything happens, even a small fire outbreak, everything will be destroyed.”

The protestors, many of whom were clad in red, also cited sanitation challenges in parts of the market, describing the conditions as a health risk.

Makola No. 2 Market, one of Accra’s busiest trading hubs, has long been central to commerce in the capital. Portions of the market were redeveloped during the tenure of former First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo, but traders say their current challenges go beyond infrastructure and require policy attention.

They are now appealing directly to President John Dramani Mahama and relevant state authorities to step in.

“We want the President to intervene and ensure something is done. We believe he will listen to us,” Anthony added.

The traders insist they are not opposed to paying legitimate charges but want transparency, fairness and relief, warning that the rising costs are threatening their livelihoods in an already difficult economic climate.