WESTERN PROVINCE

RUSIZI - Traders in Kamembe town, Kamembe sector Rusizi district have called for the removal of unregistered and illegal business operators whom they accuse of having hampered their daily earnings.

The traders said that the illegal business operators sell their products at a lower price compared to the normal prices due to the fact that they carry out their business activities in kiosks and alongside verandas of the commercial buildings in Kamembe town.

"We as business people have faced a tremendous decline in our daily income because nowadays revelers no longer access our market.

This is due to various illegal business operators especially those one who carry out their business activities in small and big Kiosks and others just sell their products on verandas,” said one Pascal Nahayo one of the participants.

The business community called up on Rusizi district management to stop those who illegally do business activities and to regularly inspect all operators in the Kamembe sector town in order to access how they carry out business activities.

They also asked the district officials who attended the meeting to demolish all kiosks that are in Kamembe in order to allow a well organized and proper working of business activities in the area.

District and security officials who attended the meeting said that they would investigate the matter and sort it out.

Speaking to The New Times shortly after the meeting, a businessman who did not want to be mentioned in the newspapers said that they have complained about this problem for a year but the district management has been adamant on it.

In a min-survey carried out by The New Times on Friday last week, many of the illegal business operators include those who deal in selling electronics, mobile phones and their accessories.

Those accused operate over 20 kiosks in Kamembe town.

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