Kitooro market vendors have asked the Entebbe Municipal authorities to reduce on the rental charges on stalls and lock-up shops.
The market is one of the 12 modern markets constructed under the markets and agriculture trade improvement projects -matip-2 program that the President launched to be opened up across the country to help out on the less privileged Ugandans.
Government borrowed this money from MATIP in order to make a strong foundation of the various markets.
Entebbe Municipal Council expects to collect over 24 million shillings from the market in the 2021/2022 financial year.
It is from this back ground that the municipality decided to increase the rent charges to enable them collect the required money to settle the loan.
However the situation is becoming unbearable for the traders who are now lamenting and asking the municipality to reduce the high taxes imposed on them.
Additionally the vendors started to clean the market on Friday last week, a duty that is supposed to be handled by the council hence appealing to them to remember their responsibilities.
On top of that, they have also revealed that the market leadership was dismissed by the town clerk, who till now has not selected or indicated a new leadership, which has created mismanagement and disorganization within the market.
The market vendors on Friday stormed the town clerk’s office for closing their shops without their consent and to discuss challenges they face including fake companies that come collecting market dues.
The angry traders are also furious at the vendors who sell products outside the market saying the move limits them from getting customers.
Meanwhile town clerk Charles Magumba has dismissed the allegations that he is responsible for increasing rental fees among other taxes.
Concerning the closure of shops, Charles says he only locked up the shops that have not yet paid any money at all.
He has therefore promised to meet up with all the traders this week to discuss solutions to the prevailing situation.
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