President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu are scheduled to jointly open the newly constructed Kejetia Market project on the 2nd of May.
The event will be preceded by a relocation of occupants of the previous Kejetia terminal who had to be resettled elsewhere to pave the way for the project in 2015, back to the new facility.
The facility has eight thousand 460 lockable shops to accommodate the traders and some others from areas earmarked at the Central Market for reconstruction.
Ahead of the official opening of the new Market, the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Hajia Alima Mahama, has outdoored an eight member Management Committee for for the Kumasi City Markets Limited.
The Board, Chaired by the Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive, Osei Assibey Antwi, with the Amoamanhene, Nana Agyenim Boateng representing the Manhyia Palace serving as the Vice Chairman.
The other members are the Kumasi Metropolitan Coordinating Director, a representative each of the Ministries of Local Government and Rural Development as well as Finance, two representatives of traders one of who should be a woman in addition to a representative of the transport unions.
The Board serves as a Special Purpose Vehicle, SPV, meant to ensure efficient management and maintenance of the Kejetia facility which has already been Incorporated as Kumasi City Markets Limited to run as a corporate entity.
The Local Government and Rural Development Minister, led them to swear the Oaths of Office and Secrecy. She spelt out their mandate to them.
Hajia Alima Mahama, together with her Deputy, Osei Bonsu Amoah and members of the Board toured the newly built Kejetia Market.
The Minister was visiting the project site for the first time since 2017 when work was still in progress. So far, the executing company, Contracta Engineering has handed over the project to the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, KMA upon completion.
Situated on a five square kilometre land with a total of eight thousand, 460 lockable stores, the facility has enough spaces to accommodate all the over one thousand occupants of the original Kejetia Terminal and more traders from the Central Market who are to be moved from their current business area in the Central market to make way for start of work on the second phase of the project.
The new Market facility will be occupied by next month while an arrangement has been made for its inauguration on May 2, jointly by President Akufo-Addo and the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu.
Speaking to the media after her inspection tour, Hajia Alima Mahama expressed satisfaction with the facility and spaces available.
She explained that, the incorporation of the Market as a Special Purpose Vehicle to operate as a Corporate entity is to ensure that the interest of all the stakeholders are protected, shift from the usual management of public facilities that reduces their longevity while assuring financiers of the 2nd Phase of the project of judicious application of the available funds.
