Business News of Sunday, 7 December 2008

Source: GNA

Commercial activity in Hohoe low on Elections day

Hohoe, Dec. 7, GNA - Commercial activity in the Hohoe Municipality slowed down and in some areas virtually absent, since the early hours of Sunday in view of the general elections. The Market, lorry station and streets have been empty as people thronged polling stations to cast their votes. Six hours into the voting exercise, people are still in long queues, an evidence of a high turnout.

Shop owners have closed their shops just as long journey commercial drivers have parked their vehicles. Meanwhile, food vendors and taxi drivers are taking advantage of inflow of people in and out of the polling stations to make quick money. Sellers of various types of food have invaded the polling stations as overloaded taxis trooped in with voters. Taxi drivers have also increased their fares from 35 Ghana pesewas for service in town to 50 Ghana pesewas.

Mr Kwame Adjei, 35, a taxi driver told the GNA that "business is flowing because customers are out and only few cars are working". Meanwhile, at mid day, the long queues have died out in many polling stations in the Hohoe North constituency. At the L. A. Primary polling station the Gbi Kpeme electoral area, Mr Emmanuel Danso, polling assistant told the GNA that 414 people had voted by 12 noon out of 942, describing turn-out as encouraging.