Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang says the Women Development Bank would soon be established.
She noted that lots of consultations had to be done with stakeholders before it’s establishment.
Professor Naana Jane was addressing market women during the 65th Greater Accra Markets Association gathering, at Kaneshie in Accra on Thursday, February 12, 2026.
She said seed money has been allocated for the establishment of the bank in the 2026 budget and plans are far advanced.
‘’Even yesterday we had a workshop, and today it will continue, it’s a 2-day workshop concerning the Women Development Bank. Everybody has to be involved including the ‘’susu’’ savers. We need to take our time and do it well. We (NDC) do our things progressively’’. She added.
The Vice President also called on the market women in the Greater Accra Region to prioritise cleanliness and safety in markets to protect public health and improve trading conditions.
She emphasised that maintaining clean and safe market environments is essential to preventing disease outbreaks and ensuring the wellbeing of both traders and customers. She urged market leaders to enforce sanitation regulations and promote best hygiene practices among members.
“Clean and safe markets are not only good for business, but they are also critical to public health,” she noted, adding that government remains committed to supporting initiatives that improve conditions in trading centres across the country.
Also speaking at the event, Political Advisor to the Vice President, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, appealed to traders to consider reducing the prices of goods to ease the burden on consumers.
He encouraged them to play their part in helping stabilise the local economy by adopting fair pricing practices. ‘’Price of fuel is down; the dollar has depreciated but prices of goods remain high. Price of maize is also down so those selling kenkey should increase the size of it and reduce the price also.’’ He appealed.
President of the Greater Accra Markets Association, Mercy Afrowa Needjan commended government for a stable economy, but expressed worry that importers are not reducing the prices of goods as a result it is negatively affecting their pricing and consumers as well.
‘’We have all seen the reduction in fuel prices and the improvement in the value of the cedi against the dollar. However, we are worried that importers have refused to reduce prices of goods in the markets, and this is affecting our members and consumers. We humbly appeal to government and relevant authorities to look into this matter so that the benefits of economic improvements can reflect in market prices.’’
The 65th Greater Accra Markets Association gathering brought together market leaders, traders and other stakeholders to discuss issues affecting market operations and explore ways to strengthen the sector.
The event highlighted the critical role market women continue to play in national development and the need for collaboration between government and traders to build a more resilient and sustainable market system.
