The bustling Kumasi City Market in the Ashanti Regional capital, the New Kejetia Market, has been disconnected from the national power grid by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) due to a staggering debt of over GH¢2 million in unpaid electricity bills.
Despite a previous agreement to settle the outstanding arrears, the ECG claims the market management has reneged on its payment plan, prompting the disconnection.
This is not the first time the market has faced a power outage due to unpaid bills; a similar incident occurred in April this year, which was resolved after management assured the ECG of their commitment to meet their payment obligations.
However, Edmond Kofi Duffuor, the Managing Director of the market, disputes the ECG’s claims, stating that the market has made significant payments towards the debt.
“We have paid approximately GH¢1.7 million out of a total of GH¢9.7 million as of June,” he said. “We are committed to settling the debt, so why should we be in darkness?”
The disconnection has caused significant hardship for traders, who are now relying on expensive diesel generators to power their businesses.
Duffuor emphasized the unsustainable nature of this solution, appealing to the Local Government Ministry to intervene and resolve the issue to ensure the market operates smoothly.
However, the traders are calling for a prompt resolution to the electricity supply issue, fearing the prolonged disconnection could have far-reaching consequences for their livelihoods.
–BY Daniel Bampoe