Accra, Nov. 24, GNA - The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) said on Friday that the only list it would use in the allocation of space at the new Pedestrians Shopping Mall at Odawna in Accra would be the one submitted to it by traders associations between February and May last year.

A statement signed by Mr Stanley Nii Adjiri Blankson, Chief Executive of AMA, said the Assembly would not entertain any new list or lists in the hands of any group of persons. The statement was in reaction to confusion on Thursday between AMA and two hawkers' associations on the list to be used in the allocation of the space.

"The Assembly wishes to re-emphasise that genuine traders/hawkers who were dislocated as a result of the decongestion exercise on 8th February, 2005 should be the first to secure spaces at the new Pedestrian Shopping Mall at Odawna," Nii Adjiri Blankson said. He said the AMA decided to open the sealed lists in the presence of security officers, but at the last meeting held with the traders on November 16, some of the Associations admitted that they had inflated the numbers.

He said the names of all the affected hawkers/petty traders as submitted to the Assembly at that time would be published in the newspapers in due course.

Nii Adjri Blankson said all affected hawkers/petty traders whose names would appear in the newspapers would be required to report to the headquarters of AMA for the allocation of space.

"Those who will not secure placement at the new market will have to relocate at the existing 26 markets around the metropolis. This should pave way for the forthcoming decongestion exercise to be effected." Nii Adjiri Blankson said the Assembly was considering an appeal by the traders to be allowed to stay on till the end of this year and asked all traders to appreciate the Assembly's gesture and peacefully move away from the streets and pavements. "AMA wishes to assure all hawkers that it would endeavour to relocate them so as to create calm and peace in the metropolis," he said.

Nii Adjiri Blankson said the beneficiaries of the space would be required to bring their Voter ID Cards to identify them as well as 2.2 million cedis for sitting traders and 1.1 million cedis for roaming traders as allocation and processing fees. He said arrangements could be made for those who could not pay the fees at one go to pay one-half and the other half by monthly installments to be directed by AMA and asked the traders to cooperate to ensure a successful exercise. 24 Nov. 06

ATTENTION RECIPIENTS: ITEM 23 ENDS OUR THIRD TRANSMISSION