The ultramodern Kejetia Market located in the Ashanti region capital Kumasi, has been disconnected from the national power grid for the second time due to a Ghc7million debt owed to the electricity distribution company, Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
This happened after the Electricity Company (ECG) cut off the electricity because of an unpaid debt exceeding GHS7 million.
The ECG asserts that the market has neglected to honor a previously agreed-upon payment schedule, which led to the disconnection.
The market has experienced similar disruptions in the past.
A similar power outage happened in April 2024, but it was fixed after market management gave ECG assurances about their intention to pay off the loan.
ECG maintains that the market has not complied with the requirements, which is what led to the current disconnection, even after this guarantee and the development of a payment plan.
The market’s managing director, Edmond Kofi Duffuor, voiced his extreme dissatisfaction with the state of affairs and insisted that the market had made significant efforts to reduce the debt.
“From a total of GHS 9.7 million as of June, we have paid about GHS1.7 million..So why should we be in darkness when we are committed?,” Mr. Duffuor questioned.
He indicated that: “I’m not paying any other service provider any money. No other person is receiving money from Kejetia Market apart from ECG.”
The market is now forced to rely on an expensive generator to keep things running because of the power outage.
“Buying diesel is so expensive; we are now depending on a generator,” Mr. Duffuor added, highlighting the additional strain on the market’s finances.
Market vendors are pleading with the Local Government Ministry to intervene and address the problem of the electrical supply in the face of these obstacles.
They contend that the functioning of the market and the livelihoods of thousands of vendors are seriously jeopardized in the absence of a reliable power source.
