3rd Ashanti Business Merit Awards held in Kumasi

The third annual Ashanti Business Merit Awards and Conference took place last Friday at the Lancaster Hotel in Kumasi, gathering prominent business figures, government officials, traditional leaders, and diplomats to honor exceptional achievements in the region and showcase its investment potential. Organized by The Business Executive Media Group (BEMG) with the theme "Recognizing Ashanti as Ghana's Central Business Hub," the event aimed to acknowledge outstanding contributions from businesses, entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, and public institutions within the Ashanti Region.

Among those recognized was Evans Oppong, CEO of E-One Trading, who received the award for Most Outstanding Personality in the Distribution of Consumer Goods. The conference served as a platform for stakeholders to discuss potential investment opportunities, foster business collaborations, and promote the Ashanti Region as a key commercial and economic center in Ghana.

During his address, Kumasi Mayor Hon. Richard Kwasi Ofori Boadi Agyemang emphasized the city's ongoing efforts to transform into a clean, sustainable, and business-friendly environment. He acknowledged the challenges that come with the city's emergence as an economic hub, such as population growth due to migration and congestion, which put pressure on the city's infrastructure.

Mayor Ofori Boadi Agyemang outlined the administration's commitment to addressing these issues through infrastructure development and executing key projects to boost commercial activities and alleviate congestion.

Addressing the stalled Kejetia/Kumasi Central Market Redevelopment Project (Phase II), Mayor Ofori Boadi Agyemang revealed that the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) had finalised the financial and implementation arrangements to resume work. He expressed optimism that the project would soon progress. Regarding the Krofrom Market Project, which had been in limbo since 2007, Mayor Ofori Boadi Agyemang disclosed that the KMA had secured GH¢100 million to revitalize the facility into a modern, mall-style market.

The redevelopment project would include road works, parking facilities, internal paving, general infrastructure, and additional market blocks, with the aim of completing the planned works under a 24-hour programme timeline.