Markets in the papers

Today, I came across two articles in the Daily Monitor newspaper that highlighted some of the major and current issues around trade n the city at the moment.

The first story: Kasubi/Kalerwe market vendors to be displaced by road expansion

- Market vendors have been operating on road reserves; now the Kampala Institutional and infrastructural Development Project (world bank ) have funds ready to develop the roads on the edges of these markets and the project which will need part of the spaces occupied by these markets.

"This market has more than 2,000 vendors, who have been operating here for close to 30 years. Government promised to construct for us a market in vain and we are now worried because the market is one of the affected properties,"

Mr Zibu said (market spokesman)

''We shall definitely construct markets’ – lack of funding, KCCA budget dropped

City council's spokesman

‘What’s the fate of our vendors?’

Rugaba north MP

Location of Kasubi and Kalerwe Markets

history/briefing about markets in the city:

- In 2016, inquiry funded by the government into city markets to see problems faced by vendors (including complaints about general welefare, revenue collection, mismanagement); clear guidlines were not set

- 51 MARKETS – 24 Privately owned , 19 Owned/managed by KCCA, 8 Owned by Buganda Land Board

- 2009 loan received from ADB & Araba Bank for Economic Devt to finance markets and agricultural trade improvement project for the following markets: Wandegeya, Ntinda, Nakulabye, Kasubi, Busega, Kansanga Nabutiti

- Of the set, Wandegeya has been completed and Busega in construction.

- Aims for development:

1) Reduce protracted battles between vendors and private investors

2) increase production and marketing of agricultural commodities

3) enhance incomes of vendors

4) increase employment

5) increase customer satisfaction

The second article: How City traders are trapped into Paying high rental fees

Many traders in the city's arcades complaining that the landlords are spiralling rate charges

Traders claim higher rents could eject them from trading and some have already abandoned city to rent in suburbs.

Main concern is with middle men who rent from Landlords to traders and increases prices further (see example below)

Examples:

· Mini-Price Arcade- standstill 01.06.17as traders were protesting rent increment 3million to 3.9million Ugsh ( approx. £800)

· Qualicel Arcade (two weeks prior) same protest and traders threatened to march to statehouse to meet the president ; the landlord then scrapped new higher rates

· Superior Complex Arcade (last month) closed shops in protest of hiked rental fees

Solutions?

Lord Mayer suggests : Implementing Rent Restriction Act to streamline the whole rent process (enforced in 1949 to consolidate law relating to control rents dwelling/businesses – section 2(1) – no subletting which exceeds standard rent)

-Kampala Arcades Traders Association (oversee trade activities in the country) -defy increment until govt comes up with policy Parliamentary Committee on Trade, Industry and Cooperatives