Vice President, Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, on Saturday inspected ongoing works at the ultra-modern Kotokuraba Market in the Cape Coast, the Central Region capital.

According to the Vice President, the completion of the market is important to the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) because it has been one of the key promises of the John Mahama-Evans Atta Mills administrations to the people of Cape Coast.

When completed, the market will boast of shops, banks, hospitals and schools.

It will also have a car park, an office block, a drainage system and walkways to ensure the free movement of traders and customers.

The project which is being financed with a GH¢ 1.3 million concessionary loan from the Chinese government, will also receive support from the central government and the Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly. The market is designed to provide for the region a centre of commerce and trade.

The Vice President, after the inspecton, urged the Chinese contractors working on the market to speed up work to enable trading to begin..

The Kotokuraba Market is the economic hub of the Central region and has existed since the pre-independence era.

The name Kotokuraba means “Crab Market” and it originated from early settlers who made a living from the abundance of crabs in the area. Like other markets, the Kotokuraba market has had its fair share of market fires, theft and other mishaps.

In 2011, the Late Professor John Mills whilst on a visit to the Republic of China sourced for a concessionary loan to rehabilitate the age old Kotokuraba Market which he unfortunately did not live to see it take off.

The Central Region is considered a swing region, a king maker in Ghana's unpredictable elections, hence the NDC will be hoping to court the support of the people of the region when the market is completed.