The government is preparing to release funding for the restart of building on phase two of the Kejetia Market Redevelopment Project, according to Samuel Pyne, the CEO of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA).
The project, which started in May 2019, has been inactive for more than a year as a result of the construction company Contracta leaving the site and terminating employee appointments due to the project’s delayed funding release.
Since then, traders have expressed worries, urging the government to finish the project.
Government authorities claim that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and their domestic debt restructuring program have extended the market project’s resumption by guaranteeing traders that it will be completed once the IMF’s negotiations are concluded.
The construction company, according to Mr. Pyne in an interview, is prepared to return to the site in August 2024 and start full operations if the government promises to disburse finances for the project.
About 6,500 leasable commercial spaces, 5,400 retail businesses, 800 kiosks, 50 restaurants, and other ancillary amenities like a fire service station, police station, and tiny theater will be included in the project, which was supposed to be finished in February of this year.
“We had a recommencement meeting on Thursday, July 18 2024, in Kumasi. Since they left about 13 months ago, that’s a year and a month, there’s a need for them to re-engage workers. At the moment, they have all the materials for the shops ready. So, they are doing a re-assessment of the materials that they left on site to confirm if they are fit for purpose for the project because the Finance Minister has given them a letter, assurance letter and assurance of prompt payment,” Mr Pyne said.
Source: newsthemegh.com