Cross border traders in Luangwa District of Lusaka Province have requested Luangwa Town Council authorities to revisit the proposed harbor fees.
One of the traders Simon Njobvu, who spoke on behalf of the other traders said the harbor fees are on the higher side making it difficult for traders to run their businesses profitably.
ZANIS reports that speaking during a stakeholders’ meeting held at Luangwa Town Council, Mr. Njobvu explained that the idea of having fixed fees is welcome compared to the 10 percent that was being charged on goods leaving the district through the border.
“The 10 percent was too much but the new fixed fees that have been put in place now are not making much difference because they are still exuberant and we the traders cannot manage to abide by those fees,” he complained.
He further cited businesses such as cement and grocery where profit is very minimal, hence finding it a huge challenge to pay the proposed harbor fees.
Mr. Njobvu further explained that the traders are ready to comply with the laws of paying harbour fees but that the local authorities, in consultation with the traders, are supposed to revisit and revise the current fees.
Luangwa Town Council Secretary Greyson Sakala said the concerns of the traders are genuine and that the council will run a questionnaire to get counter views from all the traders before submitting the concerns to the full council sitting.
Mr. Sakala said the harbor fees are arrived at after a resolution has been passed and approved by the chamber of councilors during the full council meeting, and not a decision the authority makes independently.
“At the time these fees were arrived at, we had representation from the traders and the councilors, and so it became difficult to make a decision without taking it to the full council,” he clarified.
And Luangwa District Commissioner Luke Chikani advised both the council and the traders to come together and sort out these concerns amicably to the satisfaction of both parties.
Mr. Chikani says the harbor fees are an important aspect of income generation because the money realised from the harbor is used to foster development and harbor maintenance.
