President John Dramani Mahama has given the assurance that the Takoradi Market Circle development project will be completed, for people of the Western Region to reap its full benefits.
He said the government would hold discussions with the contractor working on the project, to fashion out new schedules for the completion of the project.
President Mahama gave the assurance, yesterday when he visited the Takoradi Market Circle project site, at the Central Business District in the city, as part of his “Thank You Tour” of the region.
He was accompanied by the Western Regional Minister, Joseph Nelson, and Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah Kofi-Buah.
President Mahama stressed: “We are here to inspect and assess the status of the project. We will meet the contractor and Minister of Finance to discuss how to complete the Takoradi Market Circle Redevelopment project, and soon the contractor, engineers and workers would be on site”.
The President explained the tour was to enable him meet the chiefs and people to thank them for their support for him during the 2024 elections.
As at July 2022, work was about 70 per cent complete and progressing steadily on reconstruction of the almost a century-old Takoradi Central Market, popularly known as the Market Circle.
Phase one of the redevelopment of the central market, which was being undertaken by an Italian contractor, Messrs Contracta Costruzioni Italia SLR, was expected to be delivered by 2023.
Former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo cut the sod for redevelopment of the Takoradi Market Circle, expected to cost 48 million Euros in 2020.
It is being financed by an export credit from the Deutsche Bank S.p.A Italy, with export credit guarantee support from SACE, the Italian export guarantee agency.
The project was expected to be completed and delivered within 30 months.
The government’s decision to pull the market down and reconstruct it was due to its weak nature.
Upon completion, the new Market Circle will have 2,408 stores, 33 restaurants and food courts.
It is also expected to have bulk breaking areas, a visitors’ car park, offices, police and fire stations, a post office, a clinic, administrative offices, day care centre, space for banks and other financial institutions, a waste separation dock and changing rooms for staff.
Additionally, there would be improvements to social infrastructure, including toilets, sanitation facilities and health posts.
Currently, the management of the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) has provided a temporary site for traders.
FROM CLEMENT ADZEI BOYE, TAKORADI
