The Arua Resident City Commissioner, Alice Akello says that they discovered that the original lockup owners who have a running agreement with the city council had already sub rented their lockups to other traders at a very higher price more than the one charged by the city authorities.
At least 90 percent of the
lockups at the newly constructed Arua central market have been irregularly
sub-rented by their owners, according to an investigation report by Arua
Resident City Commissioner RCC Alice Akello.
The investigation follows a
directive by the Minister for Local government, Raphael Magyezi.
During his
visit to Arua city July 20-21st, 2022, Magyezi directed the office of
the resident city commissioner to carryout investigations on the allocation of
facilities in Arua central market following complaints by a section of vendors
who missed out on stalls in the market.
According to the report, 90
percent of the lockups are already sub rented by their owners to other vendors
who do not have tenancy agreement with Arua City council as stipulated in the Market
and Agricultural trade improvement program-MATIP guidelines.
“90% of lockups are sub rented by the owners
for example Lock up number 38 is on rent at UGX 800,000 per month and lock up
30 is on rent at UGX 500,000 per month," reads part of the report.
The Arua Resident City Commissioner,
Alice Akello says that they discovered that the original lockup owners who have
a running agreement with the city council had already sub rented their lockups
to other traders at a very higher price more than the one charged by the city
authorities.
//Cue in: “What disappointment me…
Cue out: …very high prices.”//
Currently, Arua city Council
charges between UGX 80,000 to UGX 300,000 per month for the lockups at the
market depending on the size, which is far below the fees charged by those sub
renting their premises.
But, Nelson Dada, the chairperson
of Arua market vendor has punched holes in the report noting that traders are
not interested in renting lockups and stalls in the market due to the widespread
street vending. He further challenged the city authorities to focus on ensuring
that the vendors who abandoned their stalls return to the market.
//Cue in: “Who will dare…
Cue out: …then we continue.”//
In his report to Parliament for
the financial year 2020/21, the Auditor General John Muwanga noted that seven
markets constructed by the government through the Markets and Agricultural
Trade Improvement Project (MATIP-1) had accumulated 1.4 billion shillings in arrears
due to low revenue collection, something among others blamed on irregular
subletting.
Arua central market which was
opened in January last year was constructed under the second phase of the
Markets and Agricultural Trade Improvement Programme at a tune of UGX 34
billion.
