Traders nod formation of market boards

THE Kitwe City Council (KCC) has started assembling the market and bus station boards following the meeting between Local government Minister Charles Banda and stakeholders.

Town Clerk Mbulo Seke said during a meeting with the Minister at Civic Centre on Thursday, various stakeholders including the market associations welcomed the formation of the market boards despite raising some concerns.

In an interview in Kitwe, Mr Seke said stakeholders like market and bus station associations observed that consultations should be thorough before boards were constituted.

He said a number of issues were resolved during the meeting and was hopeful that stakeholders would embrace the boards and support their functions.

“We had a very successful meeting with the minister and the market and bus station associations. Despite raising serious concerns, they welcomed the formation of boards.

“It is good that misconceptions about boards were put to rest. The most important aspect which they emphasized was the issue of consultation. So I can now say we are assembling the market and bus station boards following the meeting with the Minister,’’ Mr Seke said

Mr Seke said the benefits of the board to the marketeers was that they would be able to make their own decisions on how the markets would be run because they would be part of the boards

“Under the boards, marketeers will have a say in the way markets will be run, hence they will be able to have a say on how things should be done,’’ he said