The Mayor of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), Sam Pyne, is blaming the traders of the Kumasi Central Market for the delay in the completion of Phase II of the Kejetia market project.
Recall that, the Combined Kumasi Central Market Traders Union have threatened to demonstrate against the government over the stalled Kumasi Central Market project.
But according to the mayor, the traders resisted eviction for the project to start for almost two years.
“We should have started the project more than two years ago. There was agitation over the eviction of the trader. You hear one of the women in the press conference say we use soldiers to beat them, which is not true. They resisted the construction of that place for close to two years. We would have finished by not complying. He told Kwesi Parker-Wilson in an interview on Oyerepa Break Fast Time, March 31, 2023
The mayor revealed that there have been challenges with the system.
“Today, there are challenges with the system. You know the government’s external debt exchange program with the IMF. There are certain international contracts that the government has put on hold, including the Sinohydro project, and this is one of them.” Mr Sam Pyne said.
“The contractors told me they’re metalworks, so they are keeping a small workforce. Now that they’re not doing concrete, electrical, or plumbing work, so economically, there’s no need to keep those workers on site and pay them for no work done.”
“They have given us a timeline to complete it, hopefully by February 2024, so they should be patient. I even signed their document for payment not long ago, so if the work is stalled, how would I sign for their pay?” The Mayor questioned.
President Nana Akufo Addo, on 2nd May 2019 cut the sod for the commencement of phase two of the redevelopment project of the Kumasi Central Market and the provision of associated infrastructure.
The project undertaken by Messrs Contracta Construction Ltd, a Brazilian construction firm responsible for market construction was projected to complete the project within 48 months.
Source: Oyerepafmonline.com
