Sky Economy: Economic Effects of Trading on the Upper Floors of Kotokuraba Market in Cape Coast, Ghana

This paper examines the economic effects of trading on upper floor levels in the Kotokuraba market on traders in Cape Coast. The study employed a case study design with a qualitative approach. Purposive and convenient sampling techniques were used to select 17 participants for the study. Data for the study was collected using an in-depth interview. The results showed that the Kotokuraba market was constructed as a story building to meet the demand of Ghana’s Land Use and Spatial Planning Policy. Traders on the upper floor levels do not earn a substantial income, leading to irregular tax payments. It was also discovered that the lack of traders’ classification and division, inadequate space, the absence of regulations within the market, and consumers’ unwillingness to climb to the upper floors were factors affecting trading on the upper floors. To resolve the challenges, this study recommends that city authorities strategize to ensure that traders are regrouped based on the commodities they sell. The study further recommends that city authorities ensure strict compliance and drive all traders who sell in unauthorized places in the Kotokuraba market to enable traders to go back to their various stalls in the upper levels.