Plea by the Tanzania Chamber of Commerce Industry and Agriculture
(TCCIA), Mwanza chapter to open the shops as city authorities continued
to work on their demands met a deaf ear as the traders stuck to their
guns.
Early in the morning yesterday TCCIA officials using a public
communication system went around the Central Business District’s streets
appealing to traders to open their businesses but not a single shop was
opened on the day.
City council officials and the traders’ representatives locked
themselves up in the city hall to discuss the issue but until we went to
press the standoff still remained as there was no solution in sight.
TCCIA representatives who sought to attend the meeting were barred
by the traders on the pretext that the chamber does not represent them.
Mwanza Traders’ Association chairman Christopher Wambura told
reporters shortly before the meeting started that unless their demands
were met, they would continue with the strike for an indefinite period.
On the ground, consumers in the country’s second leading commercial
city are now compelled to walk long distances to the periphery of the
town to get consumables for the second day running.
Likewise, consumers from the districts and neghbouring regions are still stranded as they wait for the strike to come to an end.
The traders say they are tired of being harassed by city militia
who often vandalise their stores, intimidate owners and illegally
confiscate their goods on the pretext of enforcing taxation laws and
licensing orders.
They also fault the licensing procedure which is not uniform even
for businesses that conduct same activities in the same capacity, citing
corruption as the major element behind the discrepancies.
Mwanza is the biggest market in the Lake Zone area and also serves
as a major trade hub for neighbouring countries but the strike,
protesting tax imposition and alleged harassment by city authorities has
brought businesses there to an absolute standstill leaving consumers
stranded.
The affected areas are Lumumba, Lwagasore, Pamba, Kenyatta roads, Makoroboi, Nyerere Road, Liberty and the central market.
Commenting on Wednesday, Mukeshi Vunja, a trader, said they are
tired of being harassed by city militia who vandalise their stores,
intimidate the owners and illegally confiscate goods in the pretext of
enforcing taxation laws and licensing orders.
Vunja said that sometimes the city militia confiscate even their
customers’ goods and force them to pay huge fines to recover the items.
Another businessman, John Lema said fees for licences are not
uniform even for businesses that conduct same activities in the same
capacity citing corruption as an element behind the discrepancies. “They
charge fees according to the applicant’s status and appearance,” he
alleged.
“Some are charged up to 300,000/- while others pay only 50,000/- for the same licence in the same line of business,” he decried.
The traders’ union chairman, Chirstopha Wambura maintained that
they would not open their shops until ‘a lasting solution to the
problems of over taxation and harassment is reached.’
Seconding the traders move, Nyamagana lawmaker Ezekiel Wenje said
the traders have a legitimate reason to strike because, according to
him, ‘the harassment they face are from the city authorities.’
He called on the government to listen to their demands and improve their working environment.
The strike is already bearing a negative impact on trade as James
Mabula a businessman from nearby Magu town told our reporter that he
travelled to Mwanza to buy goods for his store only to find his supplier
has closed shop and doesn’t know when he will reopen.
“This has affected me tremendously … what will I give my clients if
I can’t stock the shop and what will they use at home if they cannot
purchase their needs,” he lamented calling for authorities to resolve
the matter.
