Kampala City traders have pledged to shut down businesses effective Wednesday until the president finds it crucial to meet them.
While addressing the media, KACITA spokesperson Isa Ssekitto remarks, “We are going to shut down our businesses until President Museveni sees sense in meeting or communicating to us in a dignified way.”
His remarks come after Museveni yet again called off a planned July 31 meeting with the traders, who are protesting against EFRIS and high taxes.
They have also expressed disappointment in Kampala minister, Minsa Kabanda accusing her of not doing enough to get the president to dialogue with them.
“It was not the cancellation that was defective rather the way it was done. It was very unprofessional and disrespectful that a whole minister can use a Whatsapp voice note to stop a long-awaited engagement with the president”.
“We thought the president would use formal communication. The Honorable minister just dashed out a message that because Kololo is under renovation the president will meet the business community at an undisclosed place and date,” says Ssekitto.
“Where does she get the powers to usurp the powers of the Minister of Trade, that of Finance and the official communicator of government. This is not a Kampala issue but national with all kinds of traders.” Ssekitto angrily remarks.
In the previous meeting, president Museveni asked the traders to become exporters rather than mere importers.
“Traders should answer the question: Do we want to build our country, Uganda, or other countries by trading in goods produced by them?” he questioned. “Must we continue to cause a hemorrhage of the little that we have made through agriculture and other sectors by sending our money outside? Uganda should not be a supermarket for other countries,” says President Museveni.