Ghana is a West African country and a former colony of the British Empire. It gained independence on 6 March 1957. Like all countries in the world, trading is a very important activity and trading in Ghana is no exception. There are many markets in the country some with admirable records like the Kejetia market. A very important market in Ghana is the Kantamanto market, situated in the capital city of the country - Accra. It is located in the central business district of Accra thereby making it a hot spot.
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Market Structure
There are over 30000 traders in the market selling all kinds of wares from used clothing to food to car spare parts.
Fires
Due to the congested nature of the market, when ever fires start in it the damage is always extensive. With the destruction of good and structures running into several thousands of cedis. There are no fire hydrants in the market making it almost impossible to refill fire tenders which run out of water during fires. This story is similar to other markets in the country such as Kotokoraba market, Market Circle and the Kejetia market. The latest fire outbreak in the market occurred on Tuesday, 19 April 2011. Raging fire engulfed a number of shops at the market. The cause of the fire was believed to have been due to a welder whose welding machine burst into flames.
Traders' Concerns
As the market gets increasing congested, many traders have aired concerns ranging from expansion works to be done, improved fire safety to prevention of ejection. In February 2011 the Kantamanto Traders Association (KTA) appealed to the Government of Ghana to suspend the ejection and expansion work being undertaken by the management of Ghana Railway Development Authority (GRDA) until an alternative place to accommodate the over 30,000 traders at the Kantamanto market has been acquired.