Traders at the Kojokrom Market say inadequate security is a great concern to them.
The Kojokrom Market is the main market in the Essikado Electoral Area serving the people of Kojokrom, Eshiem, Mpintsin, Ketan, Ahinkofi and other small towns.
The traders are appealing to Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) to improve security to enable them to go about their business without fear.
Speaking to Beach Newsroom, a cross-section of the traders are calling for both day and night security to protect the traders and their wares.
According to the traders, they lose their wares constantly and the presence of security personnel will curtail theft at the market.
Others also contend that they are not deriving much benefit from the daily toll they pay to the STMA.
Another issue the traders raised was sanitation, saying waste disposal in the market is not the best.
“The authorities must provide security personnel in the market to protect our wares. That is why we pay tolls. The security will prevent thieves from stealing our goods. The market leaders have also decided to provide private security to improve safety in the market. It is worrying that we don’t benefit from the 1.50 pesewas tolls we pay in the market.”
“My concern has to do with sanitation issues, There are no sanitary workers here, we do everything ourselves. STMA should provide us with sanitary workers to help in disposing of waste. We are charged two cedis anytime we dispose of waste.”
“They should get a place inside the market to keep our wares because where we keep them makes it easy for people to tamper with them.”
Meanwhile, some of the traders bemoaned the increase in prices of goods and services. This, they say, has made it difficult for them to provide basic needs for their families.
They note that the system is such that there are no price regulations and that has made the traders use their preferred prices to trade making it difficult for consumers to purchase their goods.
