Iringa Regional Commissioner, Ms Halima Dendego said the removal of street vendors will officially begin on November 19th–20th this year.
She urged the vendors to voluntarily relocate to officially designated areas.
Iringa. Regional authorities in Iringa have announced an operation to remove street vendors in an effort to avert sanitation and hygiene-related diseases during this rainy season.
The operation was announced by the Iringa Regional Commissioner, Ms Halima Dendego, during the signing of an agreement between the Iringa Business Community (JWT), the Federation of Street Vendors, the Market Community in the Iringa Municipal Council, and the Iringa Municipal Council.
The event that took place at Mwembetogwa was attended by various government officials, ordinary citizens, councilors, and other stakeholders
"When we place food products on the ground during this rainy season, do we really care about their safety? … We will end up with cholera and diarrhoea," said Ms Dendego.
She said the removal of street vendors will officially begin on November 19th–20th this year. She urged the vendors to voluntarily relocate to officially designated areas.
Ms Dendego warned that no one who is uncooperative will be spared in the operation, which she said will apply to all areas of the Iringa Municipal Council.
"To show that we are serious about this, today we are signing an agreement (MoU) with these business communities. I promise leaders that if the government acts against the agreement, you have the right to judge us."Dendego said.
The Secretary of the Iringa Regional Business Community, Cola Mtende, expressed satisfaction with the agreement regarding the control of unauthorised street vendors who have been given 72 hours to relocate.
"The Iringa Regional Government, along with the Iringa Municipal Council, has shown seriousness about this issue by signing the agreement." Mtende said.
He pointed out that due to the presence of unauthorised street vendors, business members of the business communities started closing their shops and returning their Taxpayer Identification Numbers (TIN).
Mtende said the government has been losing revenue, and as businesspeople, it was not their intention to close shops and return TIN.
The Chairman of the Permanent Committee of the Iringa Municipal Council, Land, Urban Planning, and Environment, Hamid Mbatta, said environmental cleanliness was part of urban planning.
He said the operation will involve relocating street vendors to designated areas so that the council can collect taxes.
Mbatta, who is also a councillor for Kwakilosa Ward, said the Iringa Municipal Council has constructed various markets, and every vendor must conduct their business in the allocated areas.
