The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has assured traders at the Kumasi Central Market that they will be given priority in the distribution of sheds in the market after it has been reconstructed.

Parliament last week approved a loan facility of $298 million for the reconstruction of the Kumasi Central Market.

The reconstruction project of the 90-year-old market, which is the biggest in West Africa is scheduled to begin in March this year by a Brazilian firm.

The exercise has become necessary due to the numerous fire outbreaks that have engulfed the market in recent times.

The market, when completed, will have a clinic, police post, fire service and educational facilities.

However, some market women are worried the KMA would rent out the market stalls to the politically-connected or new tenants who can afford higher rent charge.

But addressing the Media in Kumasi Thursday, the KMA Chief Executive, Kojo Bonsu said the traders have nothing to worry about.

He said the assembly has engaged the services of a private company - Engineering Systems Services limited - to register the traders even before constructions works begin at the market.

“A company has been employed to do the registration of the traders.

“Therefore, the assembly is designing a strategy to enable it capture the rightful owners, to this end; a biometric registration will be carried out for the bio-data of the rightful owners to be captured and stored on a database that cannot be altered.

“Store owners are therefore assured that upon completion of the market, they will be given the first option for the stores before any other consideration,” he explained.