Commercial activities at the newly built Kejetia Market have come to a standstill after the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) disconnected power supply to the state-of-the-art market over accumulated debt.
Akoma FM’s check at the market confirms traders have been plunged into darkness and intensed heat since the power was cut on the evening of Wednesday June 22, 2022.
Further investigations indicate traders at the market have defaulted payment of ECG bills for over fourteen months hence the abrupt power cut. The traders owe the Electricity Company of Ghana some GH₵5.4million, a situation that has compelled officials to withdraw services to the market.
The traders have already been complaining about exorbitant electricity bills they are faced with. Speaking on Akoma FM’s current affairs and political show, ‘GhanAkoma’ Thursday June 23, General Secretary for the traders Reuben Amey lamented that “over 7,000 lockable shops at the facility are connected to only one meter and we have been complaining that we need our separate meters so we can manage our finances but for reasons best known to the market’s Board of Directors, they have decided to force this single-faced metre on us”
The single-faced metre, since the commissioning of the market, has met intense opposition from traders. This is not the first time ECG has withdrawn services to the market over unpaid bills. The first happened in October 2021 which took the timely intervention of KMA Mayor, Samuel Pyne to restore the power. Then, the debt was hovering around GH¢435,000.00. A year down the lane, the traders arrears have surged to GH₵5.4million.
Akoma FM is picking information that the traders have proposed for an indefinite closure of the market until their plea for individual shops to own electricity metres is settled.
This was the scene the time Akoma FM’s Nana Asenso Mensah visited the market.
By: Nana Asenso Mensah|Akoma FM|Onuaonline.com|Ghana
