Business around the city centre including retail shops selling clothes, electronic shops dealing in mobile phones and music equipment, are recording low sales according to a mini-survey carried out by Business Times.

The survey though not based on conclusive business parameters has shown that the business community mainly in the private sector has recorded low sales and customer turn up, with daily sales dramatically reducing to almost zero.

In an interview, the business community approached by Business Times attributed the dwindling sales to less liquidity on the market as a result of the global financial crisis. While others indicated that decline is due to the mourning of the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi. 

"While mourning has also contributed to the low sales, the situation was already bad even before the beginning of this month when the commemoration began. Since the beginning of the year, doing business has been difficult because very few people are willing buy at the fixed price,” Mukeshimana, a Boutique owner that sells unisex clothes and shoes told our reporter.

She added that the few customers who are available also pose a challenge since most of them want to purchase goods at extraordinarily low prices. This has made it difficult for her to sell her merchandise.

"It is very difficult to sell because I cannot afford to sell a product below its purchase price plus taxation. I would rather not sell than make losses. But I think the situation will get better after the month of April,”  In a separate interview, Joseph Ndungu the Country Manager, Nakumatt Supermarket also mentioned that the shopping store had experienced low sales specifically during the 15th commemoration week of the 1994 Genocide.

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