Traders Appeal for Designated Spaces as Wa Central Market Decongestion Intensifies

Traders at the Wa Central Market in the Upper West Region have appealed to the Wa Municipal Assembly to provide designated spaces for them to operate as the Assembly intensifies efforts to decongest the Wa Central Business District.

The traders, whose activities are affected by the ongoing decongestion exercise, said they support efforts to restore order and sanity in the business district but urged the Assembly to consider the livelihoods of people who depend on trading for their survival.

Some of the affected traders appealed to the Assembly not to remove them completely from the area, arguing that trading is their main source of income and that relocation without an alternative could worsen their economic difficulties.

One trader said, “the Assembly shouldn’t remove us; this is our livelihood. They should demarcate the area and tell us where to trade.”

Another trader expressed concern about the impact of the exercise on vulnerable groups who depend on petty trading to support their families.

“If we are removed from this place, many of us who are orphans, widows and single parents will struggle to support our families,” the trader said.

The traders therefore appealed to the Wa Municipal Assembly to engage them and allocate appropriate spaces where they can continue their businesses without obstructing roads, walkways and other public areas.

“We appeal to the Wa Municipal Assembly to allocate us a designated space or properly demarcate the area to ensure sanity at the Wa Central Business District,” they said.

The traders maintained that a properly planned relocation or demarcation exercise would help address congestion while also protecting the livelihoods of people who depend on the market and surrounding areas for their daily income.