Some traders operating at the temporary site of the Takoradi Market Circle are demanding urgent government intervention over delays in the completion of the redevelopment project, five years after they were relocated from the original market.
In a press statement issued by the “Concerned Traders of Takoradi Central Market,” the traders described their situation as “harrowing,” saying the prolonged delay has caused severe financial and emotional hardship.
According to the traders, they were relocated to the temporary market site at the Ghapoha Junior Club House area after the previous New Patriotic Party administration declared that the old market structure was weak and required redevelopment.
They said they were assured the project would be completed within two years, but five years on, work remains unfinished.
The traders further alleged that many of them paid between GH¢400 and GH¢1,000 to secure structures at the temporary site, while others spent additional funds constructing their own shops to continue trading.
The group also raised concerns about the quality and long-term safety of the new market structure, claiming they had received information that parts of the facility were being treated with anti-rust materials due to its proximity to the sea.
According to them, the nature of goods sold in the market—particularly salt and salted fish—could further accelerate corrosion and pose future risks to the structure.
The traders are therefore appealing to President John Dramani Mahama, Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson, and Takoradi Member of Parliament Kobina Okyere Darko-Mensah to provide a clear timeline for the completion of the project.
They claim the prolonged delay has had devastating effects on many affected traders, alleging that some have died while others have become bedridden due to economic hardship linked to the relocation.
The Takoradi Market Circle redevelopment project, which commenced in April 2020, was designed to transform one of the oldest commercial centres in the Western Region into a modern trading hub.
The €48 million project includes the construction of more than 2,400 shops, restaurants, offices, bulk-breaking areas, parking facilities, a police and fire station, clinic, and daycare centre.
Government officials have recently reaffirmed their commitment to completing the project after work stalled for years due to financial challenges and Ghana’s debt restructuring programme.
During an inspection tour in November 2025, Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson assured traders that the project remained a priority and that the contractor would return to site after the completion of the debt restructuring process.
Earlier this month, the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Ahmed Ibrahim, disclosed that the project was about 81.62 percent complete before work was suspended.
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