Rukungiri– Rukungiri Market Vendors operating in Katerera daily Market, located in Southern Division Rukungiri Municipality in Rukungiri district have raised concerns over the high taxes imposed on Matooke, which they said to be very exploitative leaving them with no profits.
The said tax increment was imposed on them by the Rukungiri municipal council officials.
According to the vendors, about 3 weeks ago, Rukungiri Municipal Council imposed fresh levies on Matooke without consulting them adding that the new tax increment intends to throw them out of business.
The market vendors lead by their chairperson Mr Giriva Karechezi, said the escalating taxes are very exploitative, unfair and unsustainable.
‘’ The traders are now being charged UGX 500 per bunch of Matooke, a sharp increase from the previous UGX 200. This increment is very much exploitative and it has become a burden to our businesses because we no longer make some profits’’. Mr Karechezi said.
Mr Karechezi now wants the Rukungiri municipal council Mayor Mr Charles Makuru to intervene before the situation worsens.
The mayor should quickly intervene and address the rising tax rates as the head of the municipal tenderers because we are now operating in losses nowadays’’. Mr Karechezi added.
The chairperson also expressed his dissatisfaction with the poor security and sanitation in the market ever since the traders were relocated from the central market to Katerera.
‘’ We are operating in a poorly organized place with no security , no toilets , no security lights but our leaders only come to collect taxes from us leaving us to suffer for no good reason. At least let them first work on our problems and then collect taxes because we are paying all these taxes for no good reason ’’. Mr Karechezi added.
Ms Scovia Ninsiima, a market vendor said the Increment of taxes was done in bad faith.
‘’ They did not inform us about the increment. We left our homes as usual on reaching the market we found posts hanged in the market with massages of tax increment ’’. Ms Ninsiima said.
Ms Ninsiima added that ‘’ they were forced relocate from the central market to Katerera which is very remote which significantly affected their businesses’’.
She also highlighted the high transport costs and poor infrastructure, adding that the current leadership seems indifferent to the struggles of low-income earners like Matooke traders.
Mr Kanyarutokyooke Julius, another market vendor said the increase in taxes is intended to throw them out of business.
‘’ They want us out of business because increasing tax for a branch of matooke from shs.200 to shs.500 is for sure intended to send away low income earners like matooke traders ’’. Mr Kanyarutokyooke decried.
Mr Godfrey Musinguzi and Mr Nuwagaba Byamukama both matooke vendors in Katerera daily market urged the tenderer to personally monitor the market’s security and financial practices.
‘’ This double charging of security fees and the increased Matooke tax is for sure reducing our profits and slowing our development’’. The duo said.
The duo added that they will reach out to the municipal council leaders and technical staff on how they can reduce or even scrap the taxes.
The Rukungiri municipal mayor Mr Charles Makulu said the new taxes were a resolution by the council as they sought to increase local revenue.
‘’ If the traders are not comfortable with the taxes, the matter will be taken back to council and am sure it will be resolved ’’. Mr Makulu said.
He however called for calmness among the traders asking them to be patient and wait for the council to sit in the next 2 weeks.
‘’ The council is going sit in early September this coming month. I therefore ask the traders to be patient with us as we work on their issue ’’. Mr Makulu added.
