USAFI Market Vendors Worried As Grace Period Ends

Vendors in Usafi Market at Kalitunsi in Katwe, a Kampala suburb, continue to wait buyers with some staring at empty stalls more than two months after the first phase of the market was opened.

The market, a liaison between SAFINET Developers and Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), was opened early February but traders have to do with empty stands as they hope that customers will trickle in.

More pressing on the vendors’ minds, however, is the fact that the grace period given for the month of February, before they can begin to remit their tax revenues to KCCA, is long gone.

Kayemba Ronald, a member of USAFI Market Vendors Association, said the vendors have to make monthly payments per stalls whether they are making profits or not.

Kayemba told Redpepper online on Friday that the registered vendors have to compete with street hawkers who easily way lay customers before they enter the market. He said as a result, it will take time before the registered vendors break even, in terms of profit they make and the fees they have to pay for the stalls, revenue collection and rent.

Some traders who spoke to our reporter complained about high stall fees which range from 120,000 to 500,000 Uganda Shillings.

But Joseph Kabojja, Chairman of the Vendors said they are optimistic that business will pick up.

KCCA spokesperson Peter Kaujju said the only money collected by KCCA is the 6500 shillings per day, with the rest of the money being paid to the Market proprietors.