Awutu Senya East MCE Office Denies Renting Kasoa New Market Stores At Exorbitant Prices

The spokesperson for the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Awutu Senya East Municipal Assembly in the Central Region, Mr. Abdul-Rahman Mohamed, has vehemently denied allegations that the MCE is renting newly built stores in the Kasoa Old Market area to traders at exorbitant prices.

According to him, the allegations leveled against the MCE are baseless, fabricated and unfounded because the MCE is not directly responsible for allocating the newly built stores to beneficiary traders.

Speaking in an interview with this news outlet Africa, Mr. Mohammed reaffirmed that neither MCE nor the Assembly is directly involved in negotiations for new store allocations to the traders in Kasoa Old Market area.

Furthermore, he asserted that the ongoing allegations against the MCE are being fueled by some leaders of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for the Awutu Senya East Constituency and a self-styled chief within the municipality.

He added that whatever amount the developers charge the traders through rental agreements will remain valid for a ten-year period before becoming subject to renewal.

He again reiterated that the MCE has no direct involvement in determining how much the developers charge per store. "The MCE did not engage anyone on that matter," he was setting the record straight.

Mr. Mohammed explained that his intelligence on the ground suggests these individuals incited the traders to make these claims to create unrest around the Kasoa Old Market area, aiming to make both the current government and the MCE unpopular in the municipality—an attempt he vowed would completely fail.

He reaffirmed that decisions regarding the allocation of and payment for the new ultra-modern stores, built by investors and developers at the Kasoa Old Market area, have been handled transparently.

He reclarified that the MCE does not decide on the payment terms for stores rented to traders by developers.

According to the spokesperson, the uproar began after the New Patriotic Party (NPP), led by Mrs. Hawa Koomson, visited the traders and that subsequently led to the organization of press conference and a demonstration around the Kasoa Old Market area.

He noted that the public-private partnership (PPP) agreement the Assembly signed with the developers specifies that, upon completion of the stores, the developers will deal directly with the traders who previously occupied the area before relocating to the Iron City Market—provided the traders are able to rent the newly built stores.

The spokesperson stated that the alternative provision for the previous occupants was the Iron City Market area, which is just a three-minute drive from the Kasoa Old Market premises.

To provide further relief for the traders, the Assembly directed that no market tolls would be collected for the first few months until the traders were well-settled at Iron City.

He also added approximately 150 traders were resettled at the Iron City Market center, where each trader has a shed, a mounted container, or a makeshift structure from which they sell their wares.

He explained that some of these traders became agitated and decided to return to Kasoa town to sell on the streets, believing that is where customers mostly pass by to patronize their goods—a practice the Assembly forbids under its bylaws and regulations.

He pointed out that all meetings regarding the implementation of the PPP agreement for the Kasoa Old Market redevelopment project involve management, which comprises both the developers and the Assembly technocrats.

He noted again that that under the build-operate-transfer (BOT) arrangement, the market redevelopment project will be overseen by the developers for 30 years.

"And then the Awutu Senya East Municipal Assembly's equity in the project—after the developers are done engaging the beneficiary traders to occupy the built stores—will allow the Assembly to collect its equity in the form of revenues," he explained.

He informed journalist that the Assembly will not begin collecting daily market tolls from the area after the traders occupy the stores.

He pointed out that 30 percent represents the Assembly's equity, derived from an agreed-upon share it will receive from the developers.

"So we, as the Assembly, are not going to deal directly with the occupants or traders in the new stores under the new market redevelopment project at the Kasoa Old Market area," he further explained, maintaining that the traders deal directly with the developers regarding store payment arrangements.

He  added that many traders had acquired stores built by investors/developers through a PPP agreement with the Assembly.

However, they received information that some of these beneficiary traders were subletting their stores to others due to the highly economically viable location of the Kasoa Old Market area.

When asked if he had monitored the situation to ensure the developers/ investors were not charging exorbitant prices, the spokesman for the MCE responded that the management team—comprising the developers, the Assembly's technocrats, and the MCE himself—had reviewed the valuation of the built stores.

He explained that because there are other market development projects within the enclave, the prices were set within standard market rates and were comparable to similar projects around the Kasoa Old Market area.

"The allocation prices for the stores reflect fair market value, and I understand that this is for a ten-year period based on the contractual agreements between the developers and the beneficiary traders.

"Therefore, if the traders rent the stores, they can only review their rent agreement with the developers after ten years," he explained.

The spokesperson for the MCE noted that Kasoa is currently a peaceful community.

He called on traders and residents to desist from following individuals whose sole intention is to cause disaffection and create the false impression that there is a lack of peace and development under his leadership and the current government.