The traders have also threatened to demonstrate against the Assembly, and attributed their low sales to the Assembly’s failure to relocate the transport operators to the terminal.

Most of the petty traders who used to sell on pavements, have been relocated to the new site.

The traders, who mostly rely on the transport operators to sell their wares say the commercial activities have slowed down since the relocation, because the Assembly failed to relocate the drivers to join them at the Racecourse terminal.

[contextly_sidebar id=”1Vvt955bExCnPiqfK7kmzUZ9XuXyGSal”]Chairman of the Kejetia Petty Traders Association, Nana Akwasi Prempeh, addressing a news conference in Kumasi, said members of the Association are unhappy with the “lackadaisical attitude”  exhibited by the KMA in the relocation exercise.

“We cannot stay here while other traders are by the roadside selling. We are all traders and it is our interest to also get something from our daily bread. Our interest especially is the transport operators because we know that if they are operating here, effectively the passengers they bring in will buy our wares. The KMA should ensure that they relocate all the transport operators to this place”.

The traders gave the Assembly an ultimatum to relocate the transport operators to the Race Course terminal or face their wrath.

According to Nana Prempeh, members of the Associations will resist attempts by the KMA to frustrate their businesses.

“What we are seeing at Race Course here is nothing to write home about. We are sending this warning to the Mayor that by the 30^th of this month if we don’t see all the transport operators being relocated to Race Course, we the traders are going back on the streets. And we are going to embark on a demonstration dubbed ‘taking over’, we will take over all the streets of Kumasi,” he threatened.

The Assembly recently relocated traders to Racecourse temporarily to pave way for the completion of the Kejetia Redevelopment Project.

The exercise also aims at decongesting the Central Business District.

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By: Hafiz Tijani/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The Finance Minister in the 2018 budget and policy statement announced a number of tax reforms including the implementation of a tax threshold to protect workers on minimum wage and tax holiday for young entrepreneurs.

[contextly_sidebar id=”APpOScxX10xrZ2wEsJFEMZ8m9jOdHrxJ”]The TUC, in a statement signed by its General Secretary, Dr. Yaw Baah, indicated that though government’s decision to remove taxes as captured in the budget is commendable, its trade policies do not favour particularly manufacturers and farmers.

“We have taken note of the several other initiatives announced by the Minister in the Budget Statement including the removal/reduction of taxes as well as the proposed reduction of energy tariffs intended to create the enabling environment for the expansion of private sector development. These are commendable measures. But one important area that needs urgent attention is our trade policy which remains unfair to local manufacturers and farmers.”

Several stakeholders in the Trade Industry have for sometime now been expressing concerns over what they refer to as a high tax regime.

In February 2016, the Ghana Union of Traders Association, (GUTA), directed all its members to raise red flags at their shops in support of protests to demand a reduction in taxes.

In that same year, a number of business operators  including unions like GUTA, Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana, Food and Beverage Importers Association of Ghana, Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders, Customs Brokers Association of Ghana among others, declared a three day strike over the introduction of the supposed high taxes.

The statement by the TUC also emphasized the need for Ghana to work with other countries in the ECOWAS region to secure the sub regional market for the private sector.

TUC commends gov’t’s NBC initiative for jobless graduates

Meanwhile the Trades Union Congress (TUC), has commended government’s special initiative targeted at jobless tertiary graduates in the country.

The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta, while presenting the 2018 Budget and Policy statement on Wednesday, indicated that about 100,000 tertiary graduates will be employed under the initiative called the Nation Builders Corps (NBC).

The TUC, in its statement signed by its General Secretary , Dr. Yaw Baah, described the move as a “bold initiative” adding that it is “perhaps the most ambitious jobs programme designed to address what has become the most critical economic challenge of the country.”

“Providing jobs for 100,000 graduates in the sectors outlined in the budget will significantly improve public service delivery. It will also signal to young people who have invested so much time and money in their education that education pays. The benefits will far exceed the cost of the programme,” he added.

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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @EfeAnsah

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Eyewitness narrated that he led a group of armed military personnel to the periphery of the Tamale Jubilee Park and sacked some evicted petty traders who displayed their wares.

They got infuriated by Dema-Naa’s conduct, pounced on him and he was subsequently hospitalized.

The angry petty traders claimed the Bug-Lana, Naa Dakpema and the Gulkpegu-Naa allocated the said space for them to trade following their eviction.

They argued that Dema-Naa, Mohammed Hafiz Choggu had no locus to sack them, hence their instant justice.

They narrated that the Dema-Naa’s statement saying, “Only the Mayor of Tamale has the right to allocate a trading portion to traders,” incurred their wrath.

They later matched to the Bug-Lana’s palace and pleaded with him to call the Tamale Metropolitan Security Task Force members to order.

They also called for the dismissal of the Tamale Mayor, Iddrisu Musah Superior saying, “We are appealing to President Nana Akufo-Addo and Vice President Mahamadu Bawumia to intervene and remove Musah Superior from his post.”

The victim, Dema-Naa Mohammed Hafiz who was discharged on Wednesday May 24, 2017 has officially lodged complaint with the police.

Some concerned citizens of Tamale charged the police to immediately arrest the culprits and bring them to book.

Head of Public Affairs at the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly Issah Musah told Citi News the assembly had not authorized the petty traders to trade at the said location.

Issah Musah emphasized the need for the petty traders to relocate to the Kukuo, Kalpohin, Kapkagyili and Sagnarigu satellite markets.

He said some prominent chiefs within the Tamale Metropolis approved the ongoing decongestion exercise.

The Tamale Metropolitan Security Task Force on May 15 kick-started a major decongestion exercise within the enclave of the Tamale Business City.

The Metropolitan Chief Executive, Iddrisu Musah Superior who superintended the exercise served notice saying, “Anybody who comes and trade on the street we shall chase him out, we will prosecute him and he will answer in the law court. We have told them to go to Kapkagyili, Kukuo, Kalpohin and Sagnarigu markets.”

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Abdul Karim Naatogmah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Angry petty traders in Tamale assault sub-chief appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According the Secretary of the Ho Market Women’s Association, Ben Adjinor, although the Assembly promised an opportunity for a first choice selection to traders whose sheds were demolished during the construction, the recent allocation by the Assembly saw names of most of their prioritized members missing on the list, and rather dominated with names of individuals who do not work in the market.

“On December 26, the MCE of Ho came to hold a meeting with us concerning the market projects saying they wanted to allocate the stores to the market women, rather the stores have now been allocated to government workers and people who don’t even sell in the market, and the market women didn’t even get the stores for themselves.”

The situation Mr. Ben Adjinor described as an unfair, and called on the Assembly to stick to the initial arrangement and ensure equity in the allocation of the Market stores.

“Surprisingly, what the MCE promised us is not what she did. There is going to be chaos in the market if the committee and the MCE do not refund the people’s money and stop the sharing of the stores. We would not agree to their fictitious allocations since we the executives were not regarded in the process before decisions were taken.”

In an interview with Citi News, the Municipal Chief Executive, Madam Fafa Adinyira, denied any foul play in the allocation of the stores.

According to her, although the Assembly was faced with a challenge of satisfying the various interest groups including owners of stores whose structures were demolished during construction, the traditional authority, the traders in the market and assembly members of the various electoral areas in the municipality, 226 out of the 350 stores were allotted to the traders.

She therefore appealed to the traders to exercise restraint and allow due process prevail.

President John Mahama on May 7, 2012, launched the 40.5 million Euros pilot programme funded by Agence Française de Développement (AFD), to improve the living conditions in urban areas for the inhabitants of the four selected cities of Kumasi, Sekondi-Takoradi, Tamale and Ho.

The market is 80% complete, and the traders say they were being charged an average cost of Ghc1000 for the lease of each store for six months.

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By: King Nobert Akpablie/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Ho market women angry over market stall allocations appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.