Traders in the La-Nkwantanang Madina Municipality in the Greater Accra Region have been urged to observe highest hygienic standards to avoid selling contaminated food to the public.
They have also been urged to strictly adhere to the coronavirus protocols to prevent them from contracting and spreading the virus.
The Environmental Health Officer of the La Nkwantanang-Madina Municipal Assembly, Joseph Quarcoo gave the advice yesterday when the assembly handed over a 24-unit bio-gas toilet facility with 10 bathrooms and urinals to traders at the Borkye International Market near the Redco flats in the municipality.
The GH¢250,000 facility constructed by IFLUSH Ghana Limited is a Public Private Partnership (PPP) agreement between the assembly and the company aimed at promoting good sanitary conditions in and around the market.
The market handed over to the traders last year without a place of convenience had become a bother to the assembly as some traders and squatters used unoccupied portions of the market as places of convenience.
According to Mr Quarcoo, the municipality has become the central point of trading in the region hence the need for the adopting of strict hygienic practices in the handling of food stuff.
He explained that the environmental sanitation policy of government directs that such facilities are built and operationalised with significant participation of the private sector hence the desire to provide the traders with the standard sanitary facility to give the public the confidence to continue doing business in the area.
“We are entering the major rainy season while COVID-19 is also causing its own trouble, it therefore behooves the residents to abide by all rules governing good sanitary, COVID-19 protocols by wearing the nose masks, use of sanitisers and regular washing of hands under running water to be safe from the pandemic,” he added.
Mr Quarcoo appealed to the traders to put the facility to good use to serve the purpose of its construction.
The Operations Manager of IFLUSH Ghana Limited, Daniel Lovejoy Osei-Aboma said the facility would support the fight against open defection for a cleaner environment.
He indicated that the structure would later be upgraded to produce bio-gas for both domestic and commercial purposes and urged individuals and organisations that have parcels of land for public toilet to partner with the company to construct the facilities to end open defecation.
The Borkye Market Queen, Naa Oduna warned the traders against open defecation and warned that anyone caught would not be spared.
She also appealed to the government to provide the traders with a hostel to attract more traders to the market.
LAWRENCE VOMAFA-AKPALU