President Nana Akufo-Addo has promised market women and kayayei operating in Kumasi markets that his government will clamp down on task-forces that are reportedly harassing them.
In a meeting with the leadership of market women and Kayayei at the Kumasi Cultural Centre during his tour of the Ashanti Region, the market women lamented their rampant harassment by persons purporting to be task-force operatives, who demand extra tolls from them.
These demands come even after the market women have paid the requisite taxes to the Assembly as stipulated by law, the market queens noted.
This, they, said was hampering their businesses and indirectly affect consumers as the traders are compelled to increase the prices of their goods in a bid to pass on the extra costs onto the consumer.
President Akufo-Addo, in his response, condemned the extortion from the task force operatives as unacceptable and assured that, together with the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, the activities of these task-forces will be regulated and those operating illegally clamped down.
The president further thanked the market women and Kayayei for their support in the run-up to the December 2016 election, and appealed to them for their continued support throughout his tenure.
As far as Kayayei, also known as head porters are concerned, the Akufo-Addo administration’s maiden budget scrapped the tolls they were required to pay for operating in markets and other business centres.
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(Via: CitiFM Online Ghana)
