The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
By Julius Businge
Following the recent registration of the foreign petty traders around Kampala by the ministry of trade, the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) is now demanding for a clearance letter from any foreign petty trader intending to obtain a trading license from the city authority to do business.
Phoebe Lutaaya Kamya the authority’s director for revenue collection told this Magazine on Jan. 10: “We have been giving out licenses to everyone whether foreign, petty, or local but now we can’t unless this group [foreign petty traders] is cleared by the trade ministry.
The ministry conducted the registration exercise in December last year after several complaints were raised by traders about foreigners who illegally do petty trade in Kampala at the expense of the local Ugandans and contrary to the country’s trade laws.
“The ministry has received persistent complaints from the business community concerning the influx of foreigners in petty trade. The government has adopted a multi-sectoral and inter-ministerial approach to address this issue,” the ministry said in a statement issued in December last year.
It warned that warned that failure to attend the registration exercise will lead top cancellation of the licenses in accordance with the laws of Uganda.
For one to be considered a foreign petty trader, they must have a business whose capital is below $100,000 (about sh265m).
