The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Linda Ocloo, has announced that traders who operate on pavements and streets within Accra’s Central Business District (CBD) will now face fines of up to GH₵2,000, as part of renewed efforts to decongest the city.

This directive follows a decongestion exercise carried out on Tuesday, May 20, by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and the Korle Klottey Municipal Assembly.

The operation, which cleared unauthorised traders from busy streets, forms part of a broader campaign to restore order, improve sanitation, and enhance pedestrian and vehicular movement in the capital.

Touring the CBD during the clean-up, the Minister  issued a strong warning to traders and community members against obstructing the exercise, declaring the government’s firm resolve to maintain order.

“We are going to activate our task force to work 24 hours. They are going to draw a red line on the road, so with this, when you cross the line, you have a fee to pay, which is 1500 cedis, maximum 2000 cedis. We are going to make sure that we have leaders in all the markets who will be monitoring, aside from the task force, and make sure that the right things are being done.”

In a related development, Michael Kpakpo Allotey, Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) of the AMA, revealed plans to block certain streets on designated days to allow traders to operate legally as part of the government's 24-hour economy initiative.

“With those who do not have space in the market, under the 24-hour economy plan, there is going to be a day that the street will be blocked for the market women to sell on the street and take our ticket while we divert the drivers to a different road. So there will be days that they will be allowed to sell on the street.”