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The Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) has begun a city-wide enforcement drive to restore order, enhance safety, and protect livelihoods through the removal of illegal kiosks and containers across the metropolis. Dubbed the “Tema Facelift Campaign – Organised Spaces, Fair Opportunities,” the initiative forms part of the Mayor’s broader plan to reorganise temporary structures and promote equitable access to trading spaces. The comprehensive eight-month exercise aims to streamline development, improve public safety, and create a cleaner, more organised urban environment. Under the new directive, the Assembly has identified two enforcement categories — Security Zones and Post–21 July 2025 Offenders. According to the TMA, schools, hospitals, government premises, security installations, and utility corridors have been designated as Security Zones. Kiosks and containers sited along fence walls, buffer areas, or access routes to these facilities will be cleared immediately due to safety and security risks. A statement from the Office of the Metropolitan Chief Executive said the action seeks to protect children, patients, and the public while ensuring access for emergency services. “Hospitals and clinics must be reachable by ambulances and emergency responders at all times. Similarly, schools and security installations must remain free from congestion and obstruction,” the statement noted. The second phase targets structures erected after 21 July 2025, when the Mayor suspended all new permits and renewals for temporary structures. The Assembly said all kiosks and containers built after that date are considered illegal and will be removed without notice. The enforcement will be carried out in four phases — beginning with the immediate clearance of illegal structures in Security Zones, followed by the registration of existing temporary structures, the identification of designated trading areas, and the allocation of spaces through a transparent auction system. The Assembly emphasised that the exercise is in line with the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936), the Land Use and Spatial Planning Act, 2016 (Act 925), and the TMA Bye-Laws (2018 & 2019), which empower it to regulate development and ensure public safety. TMA officials clarified that the campaign is not an eviction exercise but a targeted effort to promote fairness and order. Traders operating outside restricted areas will be registered and considered under a forthcoming regularisation programme. The Assembly urged residents to cooperate with the initiative, refrain from erecting new illegal structures, and report unauthorised developments to the authorities. “This is about safety, fairness, and order,” the statement stressed. “Security zones and post–July 21 structures must be cleared immediately, but other traders will benefit from a transparent regularisation plan.” The Tema Facelift Campaign ultimately seeks to make Tema a safer, more organised, and business-friendly city while protecting the livelihoods of law-abiding traders. Click here to read the statement by TMA
