Combined Traders Associations of Kumasi City Markets have served notice of their intention to protest on Monday, June 27, 2022, to demand the provision of individual meters for shops at the Kejetia Market.
This comes after officials from the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) disconnected power to the facility over arrears amounting to GH¢5,000,000.
The traders indicate that they have refused to pay service charges as management of the facility failed to ensure the provision of self-meters to shops as demanded.
In an interview with Citi News, General Secretary of the Association, Reuben Amey said they will demand the restoration of power to the market.
“Whenever they need traders and voters, they use us as voting machines to get up there. Once they get to the luxury of power, they forget us who pushed them there. So we have decided that, if they will not care about our worries and allow Kejetia to grind to a halt because for two consecutive days there has been no light at Kejetia, we are saying that enough is enough because this has gotten to the neck” as quoted by citinewsroom.com.
In 2021, the failure of the management of the facility to ensure the provision of self-meters forced the leadership of the traders to instruct their members not to pay any bills to the management.
This decision led to the disconnection of electricity supply to the shops.
The traders insisted that until each shop is provided with a personal meter, they are not going to pay any bill to the management.
About 7,200 shops at the facility were affected by the disconnection exercise.
For months, the traders, and the management of the facility have had disagreements over the payment of electricity bills.