The Ningo Prampram District Assembly (NiPDA) has commissioned a forty- shed market to boost economic activities in and around Prampram.

The facility was the first in the series of trading hubs to be built in the District and was expected to grow into a full fledge market for the people of Prampram who hitherto travelled long distances to access other markets.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) after the ceremony, Mr Jonathan Teye Doku, District Chief Executive (DCE) of Ningo Prampram, said the District had not had a functional market for a long time hence his administration's decision to create many markets to open up the local business environment.

Mr. Jonathan Teye Doku informed that, “This is the first phase of the Prampram market. There are other things we would be adding to it; we will build more sheds, we would build more lockable stores, we would get some day care facilities to cater for the wards of the market women, etc.”

Mr. Doku informed that this was work in progress; “the idea is to have the likes of Makola Market, etc. We just finished with the toilet facility, we’ve connected water to the place, we are bringing in electricity, and we entreat everybody to embrace the concept so that tomorrow when Prampram Market is mentioned everybody would be proud to have been part of its development.”

The DCE informed that the people of Ningo Prampram were fisher-folks and farmers and always sent their produce to Ashaiman, Tema and other markets, “and the market women over there decide how much they would pay for the goods. And because you have spent money in sending goods to the market you cannot bring the goods back, so you have to accept any price.”

He informed that the Assembly would ensure proper maintenance of the place and protect the facility by providing 24-hour security at the facility.

Mr. Doku asked buyers and sellers to practice social distancing, put on their nose marks, use hand sanitizers. in order to stop the spread of the Coronavirus. This he said after distributing some nose marks and hand sanitizers to them.

The Queen Mother of Prampram Traditional Council, Naa Osabu Abbey, expressed joy and asked the women to move their businesses to the market and be diligent in business, eschewing all negative attitudes and practices.

The Development Planning and Gender Desk Officer at NiPDA, Madam Zubaida Damago, said the inauguration of the Prampram market was to begin the opening of other markets at Ningo, Miotso, Tsopoli and Afienya.

She informed that the facility was an existing structure, renovated at the cost of 87,335 Ghana Cedis, adding that there were space allocations for persons who would come in with temporal sheds whilst the assembly concluded plans to construct permanent structures in those spaces.

Madam Damago said currently, people were registering for the sheds and spaces and advised those who acquired them to begin operating as a means of attracting customers and other traders to the place.

Currently, the sheds cost 500 Ghana Cedis for a year with the open spaces going for 300.

There would also be public private partnership for the construction of lockable stores.

These would be stores with uniform drawings put up by individuals who would then sign an agreement with the assembly for a long lease.