By Memory Kutengule Chatonda

Blantyre, May 20, Mana: Blantyre District Council Trade Officer, Pilirani Nyangulu Mbwana has said the council is expected to enhance its revenue collection base following the construction of the K43 million Mpemba Market shed in Blantyre.

The shed has been constructed using the council’s Locally Generated Revenue (LGR) and is expected to accommodate at least 60 business people from Mpemba Trading Centre and surrounding areas once it becomes operational.

Speaking in an interview with Malawi News Agency (Mana) on Monday, Mbwana said currently the council has six established market structures in Lunzu, Lirangwe, Chileka, Nkhalamba, Chilobwe and Mdeka where people conduct their businesses in a safe and conducive environment.

She, however, said the council saw it necessary to construct another market shed in Mpemba as the absence of it forced business people to sell their products along the road, which is a risk to their lives.

Mbwana observed that the situation made it difficult for the Trade Office to collect market fees.

“Currently, the Trade Office collects K1.6 million weekly as market fees from all the market places, including from the business people who conduct their businesses along the Mpemba road.

"We are optimistic that the amount is likely to go up once the Mpemba Market structure becomes operational because it will make it easy for us to collect the fees from every individual operating within the premises,” she said.

One of the business people at Mpemba Trading Centre, Chifuniro Chimombo, hailed Blantyre District Council for constructing the market shed, describing it as a huge relief to the business people as they will be able to conduct their business in a safe and permanent structure.

"Right now, we have been hesitant to pay K200 daily to the council from our earnings considering that the place we are conducting our business is along the road and our business is mostly affected during the rainy season.

“We believe once we occupy the newly constructed market, we won’t find any excuse to pay the market fees because the place is convenient and safe for us and the buyers,” said Chimombo, who sells vegetables along Mpemba Trading Centre.

Recently Minister of Local Government, Unity and Culture,  Richard Chimwendo Banda inspected the newly constructed market shed where he expressed satisfaction with its outlook.

Apart from the market shed, the place will also have other facilities such as kiosk, toilets and butchery that will be constructed with additional funds from LGR.