Retailers discuss with Kigali City officials

At Kigali Stadium,in Nyamirambo, illegal retailers met with Kigali City officials to discuss on how this illegal trade can be handled.

Those retailers are mostly made of by female  or young people who try to sell items to cheap prices in order to cater for their families.

But in doing so,they keep on hiding  to Police or other  locally based security keepers who chase them out from the so-called  trade.

Yesterday the Kigali city officials and the Ministry for Women Promotion  called upon these traders to meet with them in order to discuss on the issues relating to how effectively  their activities can be carried out without harming legally accepted  trading activities.

Kigali City urged the traders to get into cooperatives so to get organised and be supported but the later ones find the proposition unfruitful saying that others who joined the cooperatives don’t benefit as intended to be.

Minister Gasinzigwa Oda promised the retailers a full collaboration once they get into cooperatives.She urged them to no longer trade in streets reminding the risky strings attacked to this kind of activities.

One of the retailers ,Mukamurigo told Umuseke.rw that  they do understand the risks attached to these kind of activities but can not abandon the business.

“we can not adhere to cooperatives as we don’t have investment fees or access to bank loan”, she adds. Minister Gasinzigwa told the assembly that all their wishes will be handled if they get into cooperatives

One of the former street retailers Ms Mukagasana  told her fellow that before did not benefit during the time she was trading on the street but that currently her financial status has positively  reversed.

She urged others to start thinking on how they can install themselves into  local markets so to trade legally and earn more.

It is a chance for you to attend such meeting where you can share ideas on business issues with officials.They  intend to help you, she advised her fellows.

Rwandan government keeps on encouraging those retailers to get into cooperatives in order to help them improve their activities and save their lives against streets accidents .

Evence Ngirabatware

UM– USEKE.RW