KACITA petition government over accumulated rent arrears
Kampala City Traders Association (KACITA) has petitioned government through the national taskforce on Covid-19 seeking intervention over the issues regarding rent among others.
These traders want government to ensure a middle ground is reached between tenants and landlords on rental arrears accumulated during the lockdown period.
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While addressing the media on Monday in Kampala, Everest Kayondo,the chairperson KACITA, expressed concern about the state of their merchandise that has been locked up in the arcades for two months.
Kayondo lamented the suffering traders have gone through during this lockdown noting that it's unfair for the traders to pay rent after the lifting of the lockdown.
He said some landlords had demanded two months worth of rent during the lockdown period.
"Most importantly, most of these traders have already eaten their capital and some of them are in a very bad situation whereby some are renting where they stay and at the same time renting where they work,"he said.
Kayondo suggested that government should use part of funds obtained through International Monetary Fund(IMF) to help clear the rent for business people.
"We have got over $ 490m from IMF to stabilise the economy. We think government use some of this money to clear the rent for those in the lockdown such that the landlords don't have any complaints against their tenants,"he proposed.
He also proposed that government should waive the 30% income tax which landlords pay from their rental income for the time being.
He suggested that government should engage banks because most of the landlords have been hiding behind bank loans.
