By jimmy Muhumuza
Parliament
Leaders under the Kampala City Traders Association (KACITA) have asked parliament to intervene in challenges faced by traders due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Committee Chairperson, Mwine Mpaka, who doubles as Mbarara City South revealed that the committee had invited KACITA members to the problems surrounding their bossiness in this lockdown of Covid-19 and they will divide themselves into groups to meet other traders in northern, eastern, and western Uganda.
These traders pulled out grievances of bank loans, rent arrears, new tax policy amendments during lockdowns where they are now paying tax of containers in kilograms.
Hope Katwiine told the committee that traders have lost business since March 2020 when Uganda registered its first Covid-19 case. She said that if the government wants to get money from traders it should reduce taxes.
“if you want to milk a cow , you first give it food items but the government is milking while we are dying”
Abel Mwesigye, the Chief Executive Officer KACITA recommended that the rent arrears accumulated during the period of lockdown should be waived and the tenants do not pay for the period which they have not worked.
He told MPs that the landlords that waived rental arrears include Aponye House (U) Limited on Burton Street which houses Mega Standard Supermarket and other tenants, Ham Shopping Grounds, and Mukwano.
KACITA also recommends that the Bank of Uganda directs that all interest on loans accrued during lockdown is waived so that landlords are not burdened yet they are not earning rent fees from tenants.
Mwesigye also proposed that government should give a grant for the business community which should not possess as many conditions as the previous one which they say appeared as a loan rather than a grant.
KACITA traders recommend that government puts a halt on the policies and first give it two years as they monitor the economic trends throughout the pandemic.
