Copyright ghanamma
Kejetia Market has fully settled a 3.5 million cedi legacy electricity debt owed to the Electricity Company of Ghana, ending a six year standoff caused by mistrust between traders and market authorities. The settlement marks a significant milestone for the Kejetia Market, restoring its creditworthiness and paving the way for improved collaboration between traders, management, and the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to ensure uninterrupted power supply to the bustling commercial hub. The debt, described as a legacy liability, had persisted due to mistrust between traders and the previous leadership of Kumasi City Markets Limited (KCML), the company managing the facility. Traders reportedly withheld payments for years, fearing that funds collected would be misappropriated rather than used to settle the debt. Emmanuel Kwarteng, Public Relations Officer of the Kumasi City Market Traders Union (KCMTU), told the Business and Financial Times that the breakthrough came after the Ashanti Regional Minister, Frank Amoakohene, intervened by establishing an Interim Management Committee to restore confidence and address the impasse. “Traders lost trust in former management and refused to contribute toward the payment,” Kwarteng explained. The Regional Minister set up an interim team, led by Ofori Atta as Chairman with James Nyarko in charge of operations and Nana Amankwah Prempeh as Security Coordinator. Johnson Kwabena Ankrah, Chairman of KCMTU representing the traders, met with ECG and renegotiated the debt into instalments. Under the new arrangement, traders made consistent monthly payments, successfully clearing the 3.5 million cedi debt within six months. The final instalment was paid in September 2025 to ECG’s Adum District Office. ECG confirmed the full settlement of the amount, noting that Kejetia Market now stands debt free. During a recent public hearing by the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) in Kumasi, George Amoah, Ashanti West Regional Manager for ECG, disclosed that the company has made progress in addressing arrears owed by various institutions, including metropolitan, municipal, and district assemblies. He noted that as at the end of December 2024, no ministry, agency, or department owed ECG since most of them are now on prepaid metering system. However, with regards to sensitive government agencies such as hospitals, military units, and research centres, the government is fully covering their electricity consumption, ensuring ECG’s financial sustainability. Amoah confirmed that Kejetia Market, which used to owe several millions of cedis, has cleared all existing debts as of September this year and no longer owes ECG.
