Zambian City Council under fire for wheelbarrow tax attempt
By Kwedu News
Zambia’s Copperbelt Province Ndola City Council has come under fire for attempting to tax wheelbarrow vendors operating under its locality, Kwedu News can reveal.
The Ndola Council had called for a meeting with all wheelbarrow vendors on Friday, November 24, to deliberate on a possible levy for the informal traders, but later suspended the meeting after lash back frim.the public and higher authorities.
In a notice through its Town Clerk George Mulenga, the Council was calling all wheelbarrow owners and traders in and around Ndola City for a meeting to deliberate on the tax.
“The wheelbarrow owners and traders at designated public trading places are hereby informed that, there will be a meeting for all wheelbarrow operators, operating in all the markets in Ndola District to discuss the introduction of the wheelbarrow vendors levy.
“The meeting will be held on 24th November, 2023 in Council chambers at 1400 hours. Kindly attend,” reads the notice.
In reaction to the move, Copperbelt Province Minister, Elisha Matambo, said what Ndola Council was doing is nonsense.
“As Copperbelt Provincial administration,we urge all councils here on the Copperbelt Province to stop this nonsense,” he said, adding that “Councils should learn to consult all stakeholders before coming up with such a levy.”
He said the Zambian Government under President Hakainde Hichilema seeks to empower poor people including the marketeers and traders, not suck money from them.
“We want to put it on record to all Councils in the Province that such a move will not be tolerated and must be stopped henceforth,” he said .
Minister Matambo went on to say the move by the Ndola Council is political.
“We also want to remind all Councils that they should not be used by the opposition to dent the image of the New Dawn Government under our Head of State Mr Hakainde Hichilema,” he said.
A Zambian local online Publication, the zambianeye.com confirmed that the November 24 Ndola Council wheelbarrow tax introduction meeting was cancelled.
Kwedu Classics
Your story our story
