Kasoa market traders accuse Zoomlion workers of extortion

Traders at the Kasoa Market have expressed concern about some Zoomlion workers who extort money from them before carrying out their duties.

According to the traders, they were already paying some form of taxes to the assembly for which they expected the assembly to pay the Zoomlion Company Limited to clean the market.

The traders alleged that the Zoomlion workers charged them fees ranging from GH¢5 to GH¢10 because they claimed they had not been paid for six months.

They said what was even more troubling was the fact that they remained surrounded with filth despite the money they paid the Zoomlion workers to clear the rubbish.

The traders have therefore called on the appropriate state authorities to conduct investigations into the issue.

Hardship

In an interview with the Daily Graphic, the traders said “even after sweeping the market, the rubbish is left in heaps at various places in the market for days”.

They claimed that some of them had stopped their trading activities as they found the incessant demands for money by the Zoomlion workers unbearable.

The traders said those of them who wanted to avoid any harassment paid GH¢10 for their space to be cleaned so they could sell their wares.

One of the Zoomlion leaders confirmed the allegation and explained that they were not happy to demand for payment for their services from the traders but they were forced to do so because they had not been paid for six months and they had no choice but to ask the traders to pay for their services.