The Kpone-Katamanso Municipal Assembly (KKMA) has held a consultative meeting with market women, driver unions, and stakeholders in the Kpone community on the redevelopment and construction of the Kpone Market. The Municipal Chief Executive of the Municipality, Mr. Samuel Okoe Amankwah, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that the meeting was to discuss and explain the redevelopment and construction project of the market with stakeholders. He said that the new market, which is a two-story building, will comprise 240 lockable shops,64 sheds, a rural bank, washrooms for the market women, a pharmacy for any emergencies, and a lorry terminal for operations. He added that although the old market structure has sheds, there are no security measures or a proper place for the women to keep their goods or products after they close for the day. He again noted that the project, which is funded by the government, would help the community and municipality at large as people would troop in to sell and buy. He e xplained that the project is expected to take about 12 months to complete and is slated to begin in early December. He also said that the whole market flooded during rains, preventing the market women from either selling or buying, and sometimes their products got damaged by these rains, therefore the need for lockable shops or sheds. 'In as much as we are looking forward to reconstructing the market, the assembly has also put into consideration a lorry terminal that is spacious and close to the market for the drivers', he added. Mr. Amankwah stated that the lorry terminal would have offices for the Kpone branch of the GPRTU, bookmen, and even a shed for passengers to wait for their vehicles. He also noted that the assembly was aware of the water crisis that was affecting the domestic and economic activities of the people and was working towards solving these issues. He therefore urged the market women and stakeholders to comply with the necessary arrangements and instructions the assembly had put in pla ce. Madam Christiana Teiko Abladey, the market queen mother, also expressed her appreciation to the assembly on behalf of the market women and urged her fellow market women to follow the necessary instructions the assembly had put in place for the commencement of the project. Mr. Abraham Tetteh Oglie, the Secretary of the GPRTU Kpone branch, also added that the redevelopment and construction project with a lorry terminal inclusive would help both the drivers and market people and therefore encouraged the assembly to see to the construction for the betterment of the Kpone community. Source: Ghana News Agency