Funding has reportedly been secured through the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly’s (KMA) 24-hour economy market allocation and support from the government for the construction of the Krofrom Market Complex.
According to the Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr. Frank Amoakohene, renewed efforts are underway to complete the project after years of stalled progress.About 1,900 traders and 20 transport operators occupying the space were displaced in 2008 to make way for the implementation of the then GH¢15,001,023.41 project, but it stalled due to irregular flow of funds.
THe project, which was undertaken by the Regional Coordinating Council in conjunction with the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly as a Jubilee project to increase retail space is situated on a 12-acre plot of land.
It comprises 72 Open Market stalls each containing 32 individual stalls totalling 2,304 single stalls; with paved walkways and driveways in between the sheds, three Shopping Blocks, which contain Anchor spaces for Banks, Shops, Retail Outlets, Leisure/Administrative Centre, Warehouse, Offices, Clinic, Pharmacies as well as Police/Fire Station. It also has car park, market stalls, auxiliary floors, space for banks, offices, day care centre, refuse collection sites and toilet facilities.
The project, which was initiated to improve trading conditions and decongest parts of Kumasi’s central business district, has faced multiple setbacks including finance since its commencement in 2008.
But Dr. Amoakohene has stated in a Facebook post that the project will now benefit from allocations under the KMA’s 24-hour economy initiative, alongside direct support from the Government of Ghana.The funding is expected to accelerate construction and ensure the completion of critical infrastructure at the market.
The minister said the Krofoum Market is part of broader efforts by city authorities to modernize market infrastructure in Kumasi, a key commercial hub in Ghana, and to support extended trading hours under the government’s 24-hour economy policy.
He expressed optimism that the renewed work will bring relief to traders and contribute to economic activity in the region once completed.In April, 2025, the Chief Executive Officer of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), Mr. Richard Ofori Agyeman Boadi, also known as King Zuba, gave a hopeful timeline for the completion of the Krofrom Market, assuring residents of Kumasi that the market would be fully operational by December 2027.
He revealed that several investors, including individuals from Turkey, England, and Kumasi, have demonstrated the financial capacity to complete the market.
“I have about five people who have shown enough financial capacity to complete it, and I am confident I will select one of them,” he stated in an interview.
The mayor also hinted then of the possibility of using Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) or Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangements to complete the market project.
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