GOVERNMENT TO BUILD 261 24-HOUR MARKETS - ONE IN EVERY DISTRICT - LOCAL GOVERNMENT MINISTER

The Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim, has announced that government plans to construct 261 24-HOUR markets across the country, with one market in every district.  

Appearing before Parliament’s Government Assurance Committee, Hon. Ibrahim said the project is part of efforts to improve trading infrastructure and support local economies nationwide.  

“We intend to build two hundred and sixty-one market, one in every district. We have two hundred and sixty-one districts and we intend to build two hundred and sixty-one, one in every district,” he stated.  

The Minister noted that while the contractual construction period is 36 months, government has directed contractors to fast-track work.  

“The construction period is supposed to be thirty-six months. But we ask the contractors that at least government does not have thirty-six months to be in office. So the completion period should be at least... we want you to be able to build it within eighteen to twenty-four months,” Hon. Ibrahim explained.  

He added that government is aiming to commission the markets before the end of its current term in office.  

Hon. Ibrahim said he is personally committed to ensuring a market is delivered in his own district as part of the nationwide rollout.  

The project is expected to create jobs, decongest existing markets, and improve trading conditions for thousands of market women and traders across all 261 districts.  

Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim, says government will step in to build 24-hour markets and modern trading facilities because the collapse of indigenous banks has left Ghanaian traders unable to compete with foreign businesses.  

He added the State must intervene after seeing how foreign-owned businesses have taken over key commercial areas.  

The Minister pointed to the collapse of local banks as a major reason Ghanaian traders are being pushed out.  

“Unibank is no more. Sovereign Bank is no more. First Capital Bank is no more. The indigenous bank that used to give you and I, our sisters and our constituents money to go and do business are no more,” he stated.  

Hon. Ibrahim said with unemployment on the increase, traders now lack the capital to rent spaces in malls and markets dominated by foreign firms.  

“When you go to Spintex Road you see China Mall. You go to other shopping malls, South Africa, Shoprite, Stanbic Bank. But the market women cannot go into them. They don’t have the high capital to go and pay the rent,” he told the Committee.  

According to the Minister, the solution is for government to provide “a befitting place in every district.”  

“If the President wants to construct twenty-four hour market you can’t go and construct shelves that they should work twenty-four hours,” he said.  

He explained that malls like China Mall operate because they are state-partnered businesses backed by government loans.  
“The China Mall and the market that you see are state-partnered businesses. The China government give them money. They go to China Bank for loan,” Hon. Ibrahim noted.  

He argued that without similar state support, Ghanaian traders will continue to be displaced from major trading hubs.