GESD provides market shelter to Machinga business community

Machinga, March 6, Mana: Machinga District Council has constructed a market shelter for the business community operating at Mkwepere Trading Centre with funding from the Governance to Enable Service Delivery (GESD) Project.

The modern facility has since been touted to boost trade at the trading Centre thereby, fostering economic activities in the country.

Speaking in random interviews with Malawi News Agency (MANA) on Tuesday, the business community said people in rural communities have passion for business which can only reach its full potential with provision of good market structures.

Imran Douglas, who plies his trade at Mkwepere Trading Centre in the area of Senior Chief Nyambi said more people are flocking to do business at the Centre owing to the GESD funded market shelter.

Douglas observed that in the past when there was no market shelter, those plying their trade were few.

“Lately, we have seen more people doing businesses at the market. We understand that people were not willing to do their businesses in shabby structures, which were not conducive for business.

“We thank Machinga District Council for giving us such a place to be doing our trade. We are highly motivated to sell more to our customers since they know we have a better and comfortable place to transact business,” he said.

Douglas believes that in the long run, a lot of people will venture into business because of modern market shelters as that provided by Machinga District Council courtesy of GESD.

He added that, apart from people coming from all corners of the district to do business in the new facility; business people are making more sales since more customers are patronizing the shed as they have seen no risk of contracting diseases such as cholera.

“Now, customers have confidence in what we are selling since the place is good. In the past the environment was not that good since we were operating us at an open place. We are making more money because of the new structure,” said Douglas who is also Chairperson of the newly constructed Mkwepere Market Shelter.

John Wyson, who does butchery at the market concurred with Douglas, pointing out that people from across the district have been traveling to the market to buy and sell goods because of the modern market structure.

“This structure has boosted our sales, which in turn has improved our economic status,” said Wyson.

Member of Parliament for Machinga North East, Ajilu Kalitendere, challenged the business community to use the market shelter fully by bringing a variety of goods for them to benefit as well as satisfy customer’s needs.

“The traffic for those plying business at the market is increasing on daily basis. This shows that people are really benefiting from the shelter. Let me ask communities around to take care of the structure and maintain its cleanliness as well as pay market fee so that the council gets enough revenue to implement new projects in the area,” said Kalitendere.

Machinga District Civil Society Organization Network Chairperson, Belinda Chimombo, said the network is grateful to the Council for prioritizing and considering construction of market shelter at Mkwepere, noting that the facility will improve service delivery.

Chimombo added that the initiative will also help the council to collect more revenue which will be channeled to other development projects within the markets.

“The newly constructed market shelter will also give business persons an opportunity to improve in their business activities and somehow give them both ownership and an obligation to pay market fees.

The main objective of GESD project is to strengthen local authority’s institutional performance, responsiveness to citizens and management of resources for service delivery.