Market women at the Bolgatanga Old Market have called on authorities to ensure they have access to locked stores and sheds that were allocated to people many years ago but have remained unused.
The traders have appealed to the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly to immediately re-allocate the facilities for economic boost.
Since the last quarter of 2008 till date, the Bolgatanga Old Market stores and sheds were allocated to traders after the rehabilitation of the market.
Before the rehabilitation of the old market, the traders were relocated to the current new market and close to 85% of the traders refused to return to the old market after paying for the stores and sheds.
This, has therefore affected trading at the new market with low patronage. The market women at the old market are now fed up with sales frustration, requesting for re-allocation of the stores and sheds to people who wish to come and trade with them.
The market Queen of the Bolgatanga Old Market, Linda Akupa expressed worry over the situation which is affecting sales and retards economic activities in the Municipality.
“Those stores are locked and those they belong to and owned them are doing business in the New Market and they stored their goods there without being here with us in the market. So those of us here in the old market, we are not plenty. You see, today is a market day, look at the time now. You can’t see anybody here. We are all few people inside this market. And those stores are locked.
“They can take them and give to those who also want to join the old market to come back here so that we stay together.
“If you pay the store, and you are not opening the store, and somebody want the store, you have to give it to the one who want to sit,” she said.
“We are appealing to the MCE or the minister to take, to give them the people who want to sit here. So that they can give the store to them, so that we also stay together,” she added.
Other traders expressed their dissatisfaction about the situation which has adverse effects on their livelihoods.
In a telephone interview with the Municipal Chief Executive of Bolgatanga, ( MCE) Roland Atanga Ayoo, he said the Assembly is considered redeveloping the market to re-allocate the stores and sheds for new people to ensure productive and increased economic activities in the Municipality.
He added that about three task force and working committees have been established to look into the redesigning and development of the market.
Source:Lovinghananews.com
