No trading activities are expected to be conducted in and around the old Takoradi market circle on Monday, May 3, 2021.

Traders in and around the Takoradi market circle have, therefore, been asked to fix, furnish and move into their allotted spaces in the temporary market.

The decision is to enable the STMA to officially hand over the old market site to the contractor for redevelopment to begin.

Although the traders at a stakeholders' meeting pleaded for an extension of the Monday, May 3 deadline, the city authorities would not agree.

Some traders complained of poor lighting systems, bad doors to stores, no proper furnishing and others without spaces.

Mr Abdul Mumin Issah, the STMA Chief Executive Officer, said such excuses would delay the work of the contractor, who was given May 10, 2021, to move to the site.

The MCE asked the traders to start furnishing their lots to enable smooth movement before Monday.

"No trading activities will be undertaken in and around the market circle on Monday," he said.

The relocation to the temporary market is to enable the contractor to start work which would see the 90-year-old facility replaced with an ultra-modern market edifice.

Mr William Tei Kpoti, the STMA Engineer, said work was substantially completed on all four blocks, be it sheds and lockable stores, among others.

He, therefore, encouraged the traders to move for work to commence on the proposed site.

The Assembly would provide trucks, security personnel and the needed logistics to ensure the traders were assisted to move in a coordinated manner, he said.