[ 2021-02-13 ]

A scene at the Kumasi Racecourse Market

Kumasi Race Course traders threaten to stop paying tax over neglect
Traders at Race Course, one of the biggest markets
within the Kumasi metropolitan area have
threatened not to pay taxes to the assembly if
authorities do not show a strong commitment to
addressing some key challenges affecting their
activities.

The traders have complained of the lack of a
working access route to the market.

They say it has led to daily struggles, as it
becomes extremely difficult for cargo vehicles to
convey goods to and from the area since their
broken-down bridge has remained unattended to.

“Because this place becomes muddy during the
rainy season, we decided to get the gravels so
that the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly will support
us in levelling this place. We have approached the
city authorities on countless occasions, but they
have not addressed our concerns. Also, our bridge
has broken down and has still not been fixed. It
makes it very difficult in accessing the road. One
of our cars even overturned recently. We used a
tricycle to convey our goods afterwards,” Nana
Afia Kyeiwaa, the Race Course market queen
lamented in an interview with Citi Business News.

Over GHS20,000 in revenue which the Kumasi
Metropolitan Assembly generates from close to 10,
000 traders every month at the Race Course market,
will no longer be collected going forward, if
authorities do not address the challenges of
traders at the market.



“If we don’t see any strong commitment from
authorities, from Monday, February 15, 2021, all
traders here will not pay taxes to the Assembly.
We will take the contribution from our members and
use it to address our concerns,” the market
queen added.

The traders say several pleas for authorities to
address their challenges have been unsuccessful
and as such, they will resolve to put their
collective taxes together on their own to be used
to address their numerous challenges.

“We pay taxes as expected of us but we don’t
get anything from the authorities. We agree with
our market Queen. We will stop paying taxes. We
want the KMA mayor to listen to our plea,” said
the cassava market queen at Race Course, Agatha.

A trader, Mama Esther added that: “the
authorities have to address our concerns. The
situation here does not make it attractive for
others to also trade here. ”

The traders want concerns regarding developing
their market as well as deploying security
personnel to the area to be critically looked at.

Source - Citinewsroom

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