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The Tamale Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) will soon embark on an exercise to decongest the Tamale Central Market as part of measures to ensure the safety and convenience of traders in the market. The exercise will be carried out in collaboration with the Metropolitan Fire Service Department, the Volta River Authority (VRA) and other stakeholders, paving the way for the Assembly to undertake some minor works within the market. This was announced by the Metropolitan Chief Executive, Hon. Alhaji Abudulai Harruna Friday, at a meeting with members of the Tamale Progressive Traders Association (PTA) in Tamale over the weekend.The meeting, at the instance of the Traders, was to afford them and the Metro Chief an opportunity to interact and discuss issues of mutual concern as partners in development. Alhaji Harruna Friday bemoaned that not even a needle would be salvaged from the Central Market in the event of a fire outbreak, and therefore called on all to support the planned decongestion exercise in their own interests since most businesses in the market are not insured against fire. According to him, the safety of traders and shoppers is of paramount importance to the assembly - hence the urgent need to check and guarantee safety standards in the markets. He said theintended exercise will first entail a dialogue session with chiefs and the traders to secure their understanding and cooperation, which will be followed by the removal and possible dismantling of all unauthorised structures within the market - such as store extensions and wrongly-placed tables. Alhaji Harruna Friday assured that the exercise will be done with a human face so that no trader or shopowner suffers unduly as a result of the exercise. He also used the opportunity to appeal to all owners of such unauthorised structures and tables who undoubtedly - will be affected during the exercise - to consider re-locating to the Lamashegu, Kalpohin, and other satellite markets within the Metropolis. The Metro Chief commended and praised members of the association for their continuous participation in all the Assembly�s sanitation campaigns and collaborative efforts in mobilising revenue for the Assembly. He further urged them to continue encouraging more traders to join the association so as to widen the tax net for increased development revenue. The chairman of the Progressive Traders Association (PTA), Alhaji Yasaba, on behalf of the group thanked Alhaji Harruna Friday for accepting to attend the meeting and assured the Assembly of the association�s cooperation and unflinching support to decongest the central market saying: �They will do all in their power to ensure the success of the exercise when it starts.� Alhaji Yasaba however appealed to the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly and central Government to urgently intervene and take steps to protect local businesses, which he said are gradually being overrun and in most cases swallowed up by some aggressive traders from neighboring countries and the Middle East. He also alleged that the retail sector of the economy, which is usually the preserve of local traders, is now virtually being taken over by foreigners.