The Minority on Parliament’s Local Government and Rural Development Committee has called on the government to consider reallocating resources earmarked for the proposed 24-Hour Market initiative in areas where such facilities may not be required to the completion of stalled Agenda 111 hospital projects.
According to the Ranking Member on the Committee and Member of Parliament for Bantama, Francis Asenso-Boakye, some districts already possess market infrastructure that remains underutilised, making the construction of additional markets unnecessary.
Speaking during a capacity-building workshop for Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in Accra, he stressed the need for authorities to prioritise projects based on the specific needs of communities.
He argued that scarce public resources should be directed towards sectors that would have a greater impact on the lives of residents, particularly healthcare.
Asenso-Boakye disclosed that he had engaged the Minister of Health on the possibility of redirecting funds allocated to the 24-Hour Market programme in districts where there is little demand for new market facilities.
“As District Assembly officials and political actors, you are supposed to build 24-Hour Markets but I have realised that in many districts, they do not really need the 24-Hour Markets because there are existing markets already which are underutilised.
“I was asking the Health Minister whether he will make a case that in situations where you don’t need these 24-Hour Markets, can we invest the money in other areas which will certainly include the provision of healthcare infrastructure like the Agenda 111,” he said.
He maintained that completing the abandoned health facilities would help improve access to healthcare services and ensure that investments already made under the Agenda 111 programme are not wasted.