KASESE – Fish traders at Mpondwe One Stop Border Post [OSBP] in Kasese district are crying foul over the slow business despite the construction of a modern Mpondwe Market in Lhubiriha Town Council.
The traders days ago attributed the decline in the fish business to the presence of another market in the Democratic Republic of Congo [DRC] which shares the borderline with Uganda.
According to Henry Bwambale, the chairperson of the business community at Mpondwe OSBP, since the opening of almost a similar market across the border in the DRC, many fish traders on the Ugandan side have almost run out of business.
“The market in Lhubiriha [in DRC] was opened by Congolese traders when Uganda closed the open markets as a measure to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Since then, it [the Congolese market] has been operating despite the Government of Uganda reopening the Mpondwe Market two years after its closure,” Bwambale said.
Bwambale added that those who used to cross from Congo to Mpondwe to buy fish no longer come because they already have their own market.
“If the two countries don’t sit and harmonise on how the two markets can operate for the benefit of traders on both sides, the fish on the Ugandan side is likely to die,” he said.
Alice Biira, a fish trader said some traders from Uganda are able to cross to DRC to sell their fish because of the good prices offered there.
He added: “Before the closure of Mpondwe Market temporarily during COVID, we used to sell a lot of fish to the Congolese who used to give us good money. However, since they opened their own market, we are not selling as much fish to them [Congolese].”
Sylvester Mapoze, the mayor Mpondwe-Lhubiriha Town Council said because of the slow fish business at Mpondwe they have failed to hit its projected local revenue collection.
“There is an urgent need for government to regulate fish business in order to help local markets to prosper,” he said.
Last month, the Minister for East African Community Affairs, Rebecca Kadaga on her visit to the area promised that both governments would harmonise operations of the markets such that traders on both sides of the border benefit from the fish business.
The market which was funded by the World Bank is meant to boost cross-border trade by reducing the costs faced by traders, especially women.
https://thecooperator.news/uganda-dr-congo-hold-business-summit-to-boost-business/
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