Xmas shopping gathers momentumWednesday, 22 December 1999

With only three days to Christmas, business activities, particularly in Accra seem to be picking up although they fall short of the expectations of both sellers and buyers.Clothes sellers and traders who were disappointed from the beginning of December following the low patronage of their wares are now having a field day since buyers are now patronising the goods.Visits to the Central Business district of Accra revealed that items highly patronised on the market are children and ladies wear which include clothes, dresses and shoes despite increases in their prices.There is also a heavy vehicular traffic congestion in all parts of Accra as people from all walks of life besiege the city centre to do their last minute shopping.The crowd in the city centre, particularly in front of the Ghana National Fire Service Station was so large that it slowed down traffic to a snail?s pace as many of the traders conduct brisk business on the streets and pavements. A source close to the Accra Railway Police Station indicated that the rate of pick pocketing has reduced drastically due to the presence of police