Following a protests by vendors in the market against the
current rental fees they claim are too high to sustain their businesses, Tororo
Municipal Council is set to review rental rates for all spaces in the Market.
According to the Mayor Tororo Municipality Kennedy Orono
Nyapidi, council has tasked the committee of finance and works to kick start
the process of developing new pricing guidelines and subsequently present
before full council for approval.
He explains that they expect the new guidelines to end the
torn relationship between the vendors and council authorities
He notes that the review may see the rental rates reducing
or increase depending on the findings of the committee because this committee
of council will have the task of among others consulting with market
authorities of other districts and where need arises they will be required to
have physical visits to such markets.
Orono while addressing the media at his office today
(Thursday) cautioned vendors against getting excited with the proposed review
because the outcome may not favor them adding that the new rates will be
adopted depending on the current market rates.
He warned that although the review may favor the vendors,
this will not mean that it will exonerate them from paying the outstanding
arrears.
He added that while the review process has kicked off,
council is also stepping up efforts to recover arrears from vendors who have defaulted and most defaulters are mainly sector heads.
He revealed that where need be, they might be forced to use
court Bailiffs to assist in the recoveries because the facility was constructed
using a loan that needs to be paid back.
Orono says, according to the Market Act, council was
supposed to get 15% of the generated local revenue to service utilities and
manage garbage which the vendors have not remitted.
The market master Peter Okaka says despite the introduction
of the new payment system code named Market Vendors Management System where
vendors manage their own rental fees payments defaulting has instead increased.
He says under the system, vendors are even allowed to pay
their rental fees in installments and pay it at their convenience.
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