Lilongwe City Council losing millions in revenue

The Lilongwe City Council is losing millions of Kwacha in monthly revenue due to some vendors’ refusal to pay market fees, the council’s senior official has confirmed.

Business News has gathered that vendors, especially those plying their trade at Tsoka Market in the city, have been threatening revenue collectors in an attempt not to pay market fees.

The vendors argue that they cannot pay market fees when some vendors are allowed to sell their merchandise along the road without paying any market fee.

In an interview on Wednesday, former chairperson of Lilongwe Vendors, James Yelayela Soko, confirmed that vendors are refusing to pay market fees because business has gone down following the decision by their colleagues to relocate to the streets.

Said Soko: “It is true that some vendors are refusing to buy tickets, saying that they can only do so when the vendors along the main roads of the city are removed. This issue is very hot now because this is campaign time and the authorities are afraid that they may lose some votes.”

Soko’s sentiments were echoed by some council revenue collectors who explained that they are being harassed when discharging their duties.

“There are some sections of this markets where we do not even go. These people have pangas and block the passages with tree branches. This problem has been there for a couple of months now and there is nothing we can do. The council is losing millions per month,” said one of the collectors.

But current vendors chairperson George Banda differed with the revenue collectors and Soko, saying no vendor is refusing to pay market fees.

“Whoever is saying that is lying because all the vendors are paying market fees every day. You can even check with the city council,” said Banda.

But Lilongwe City Council director of commerce Gensher Mbwabwa disagreed with Banda, saying that since some vendors moved into the streets, the council is collecting less revenue due non-compliance.

“It is indeed true that our revenue collectors are facing problems and the figures of the money we were collecting have gone down. For example at Tsoka market we used to collect over K 60 000 per day but now we are collecting about K50 000. In the central market we used to get over K50 000 but now we are collecting about K40 000,” he said.

He said with reduced revenue, the council is failing to maintain the existing markets, something which is compromising the security of the merchandise stored in the markets.

“If we cannot build proper fences and fix strong gates in our markets, then thieves will not take advantage and steal the items. We have met the vendors several times and we hope that a solution to this problem will be found soon,” said Mbwambwa.

He refused to attribute the delays by government to remove the vendors from the streets due to the impending elections, saying government is committed to ensuring that the streets are safe.

“We have even met the Minister [of Local Government] and she assured us that government is looking into the matter and we know something will be done soon,” said Mbwambwa.