Museveni meets city traders, hears out their concerns

BUSINESS IN CITY

KAMPALA - President Yoweri Museveni toured met with city traders at Nakasero Market and the Old Taxi Park on Friday. He also met shopping arcade owners and tenants at Qualicell Bus Terminal and concluded the tour at Kisekka Market.

Here are bits of what the President said of his tour:

"The traders concerns were largely about high rental fees, high electricity tariffs imposed by landlords and exorbitant charges for sanitary facilities among others."

"My view is that the markets should be reserved for low income earners. Rich people should not interfere in ownership of markets. Previous bad leadership in the city caused the sale of markets to rich people who have inconvenienced and driven off the poor from these facilities.

"The government is working out modalities of retrieving these market titles from the rich and hand ownership back to vendors. Kampala Capital City Authority will help oversee management of these markets."

"Whereas I commend traders in Owino and Nakasero markets for working hard to create wealth through their Saccos and responding to our NRM call on poverty eradication, I am unimpressed by the poor physical state of the Old Taxi Park.

'I am told this is partly due to the leadership wrangles among the taxi park stakeholders, facilitated by opposition leaders in the city. Stop electing selfish leaders who only care about their salaries. However, we shall fix this matter."

"It is extortion for landlords to charge electricity fees higher than known Umeme rates. It is illegal and it has to stop. I have directed the minister of energy together with KCCA to ensure this stops. KCCA should also stop the practice of charging fees for places of convenience."

"I urge the business community to venture into manufacturing so that we cut down on importation of items like clothes, whose raw materials we have in Uganda. The Government will support those willing to get into manufacturing.

"There will be further meetings with arcade owners to discuss issues of "mistreatment" by the Uganda Revenue Authority. The government will also support the traders' Saccos."