Copyright ghanamma
Kejetia Market has fully settled a GH¢3.5 million legacy electricity debt owed to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), ending a six-year stand-off that strained relations 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 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. Public Relations Officer of the Kumasi City Market Traders Union (KCMTU), Emmanuel Kwarteng, told the Business & Financial Times (B&FT) that the breakthrough came after the Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr Frank Amoakohene, intervened by establishing an Interim Management Committee (IMC) to restore confidence and address the impasse. “The traders lost trust in the former management and refused to contribute toward the payment. 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. Chairman of KCMTU, Johnson Kwabena Ankrah, representing the traders, met with ECG and renegotiated the debt into instalments,” Kwarteng explained. He added that under the new arrangement, traders made consistent monthly payments, successfully clearing the GH¢3.5 million debt within six months. The final instalment was paid in September 2025 to ECG’s Adum District Office. Meanwhile, the 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, Ashanti West Regional Manager of ECG, George Amoah, answering a question, disclosed that the company has made progress in addressing arrears owed by various institutions, including metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs). He noted that as of the end of December 2024, no ministry, agency or department owed ECG since most of them are now on a prepaid metering system. However, with regard 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. “Kejetia Market, which used to owe several millions of cedis, has cleared all existing debts as of September this year. They no longer owe ECG,” Amoah said.
