Kejetia Phase III pricing talks loom as government moves to restart stalled works

Government is preparing to open pricing discussions for Phase Three of the Kejetia Market Redevelopment project, as it moves to get contractors back on site to revive the stalled Phase Two.

The Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mahama Ayariga, says the pricing discussions will begin once work resumes on Phase Two, which has remained largely stalled for nearly two years.

With Phase Two only about 60 percent complete, the government is now turning to an arrangement it says will unlock the project, after Finance Minister Dr Ato Forson approved the use of proceeds from Phases One and Two to facilitate the return of contractors and to open discussions towards the commencement of Phase Three.

Mr Ayariga says contractors could be back on site within days or weeks, bringing an end to a prolonged construction freeze at the project.

“We want to inform the people of Kumasi and the Ashanti Region that the contractor will be returning back to site to complete Phase Two,” he said.

The Minister says government considers the completion of Phase Two a critical step before moving fully into discussions on the next stage of the redevelopment.

But the bigger conversation is already shifting towards Phase Three and its price tag.

According to Mr Ayariga, once contractors resume work, the government will commence discussions on the pricing of Phase Three. He said the finance minister had given the green light for proceedings from Phases 1 and 2 to be used to commence Phase 3.

“We have been given the go-ahead by the finance minister to use the proceeds from both projects to start Phase 3,” he said.

Mr Ayariga stated that they would continue discussions with the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council and the Asantehene.

The talks are expected to determine the financial requirements for the next stage of the Kejetia redevelopment and provide a clearer picture of how government intends to proceed with the project.

For now, however, government must first resume all activities in completing Phase Two.

Phase Two has been stuck at roughly 60 percent completion for almost two years, leaving unfinished portions of the project awaiting the return of contractors.

The latest financial approval is expected to provide the impetus for construction to resume.

For traders, businesses and residents around Kejetia, that could soon mean the return of workers, machinery and construction activity to a site that has been quiet for far too long.

And once the machinery starts moving again, the conversation will quickly move beyond what remains unfinished.

It will be about what comes next — and, more importantly, how much Phase Three of Kejetia will cost.