High fees knock out vendors from show
VENDORS at the just ended 92nd Agriculture and Commercial Show have complained over the high participating fees which forced many of them to stay away from the event Some traders who were trading at “Flea Market” that was designated for vendors, complained that the fees at this year’s show were too high and only a few could afford them. In separate interviews with the Daily Nation, one of the traders, Simon Mtonga, explained that vendors were asked to pay K3, 000 per stand for six days, an amount which was out of reach for many of them. Mr Mtonga said because of the high and unaffordable fees, most traders failed to show up. “Last year we had a lot of traders because the fees for trading were fair and business was good, we made our profits but this year the fees went up from K2, 000 to K3, 000, this amount is has negatively affected us in small businesses., “We have failed to make profits this year because of the high fees for the stands,” Mr Mtonga said. Another trader Laston Chilupula complained that the K 3,000 did not come with a badge for entering the showgrounds, adding that only those who paid K4, 000 and above were given badges. “I paid K3000 and l was not given a badge and looking at my products I was selling, it’s been hard to recover the money. From the time I came, I have not moved out of this place because l could not manage to pay K 30.00 every day. May the relevant authorities look into this matter and consider reducing the fees for the stands in future events,” he said. Meanwhile, Johnston Chisanla another trader appealed to the government to help reduce the trading fees as the show was the only place where they could make good money as vendors. He also advised the show society in future to consider charging the traders according to the type of the merchandise they were dealing in.