FOCESE for Sanity in Nsanje District’s Markets
Election at the boma market
- pic by Alfred Guta
Foundation for Civic Education and Social Empowerment (FOCESE) has embarked on a drive to bring sanity in Nsanje district’s markets a move which it says will help to boost the council’s revenue.
FOCESE Programs Officer, Rodrick Katuka says they are supporting the election of new market committees citing the boma market where vendors have been boycotting payment of market fees.
“We want to improve the council’s revenue generation so the council is able to provide quality social services.
“The committee has over-stayed. It has been there for 10 years or so. It mobilized its members to boycott payment of market fees which resulted in a decline in the council’s revenue generation.
“We want sanity in the market across the district by having new market committees so such resources be pumped towards health, agriculture, education but also social protection,” explained Katuka.
He noted with concern that the new market has no electricity among other issues yet vendors at the market have been boycotting payment of market fees.
Katuka told Zodiak Online today, Tuesday that this will be done in all the nine areas of Traditional jurisdiction saying Norwergian Church Aid and DanChurchAid pumped K120 million for such activities.
Grace Mafunga who runs a restaurant at the boma market has described the move as welcome but lamented to have only learnt about it on Monday this week adding that the new chairperson also comes from fish business team.
Mafunga pledged to support the new team but implored the council to address issues which resulted in the boycott of payment of market fees.
Another businesswoman told Zodiak Online that she expects the new committee to improve sanitation in the market.
Moses Shuva has been elected new Chairperson of the business committee at the boma market replacing Samson Folopensi.
There have been sparks between the council and the outgoing committee which mobilized its members to boycott payment of market fees in a drive to force the council to address their concerns including poor drainage, lack of a storage container and failure by the council to connect the new market to ESCOM power.
The council, according to records, collects not less than K200, 000 weekly but it has been failing to meet such a target from the market as a result of the boycott.
