Africa-Press – Uganda. The construction of Biiso main market in Buliisa District is 95 percent complete, the contractor has said.
The market is part of the Albertine Region Sustainable Development Plan (ARSDP) projects initiated by
government with funding from the World Bank estimated at $145 million (Shs508b). A total of $25 million (Shs87b) was allocated to the construction of three markets in the region.
They include Biiso, Kabaale in Hoima and Buhuka in Kikuube District.
In February last year, the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development that is implementing the second component of ARSDP, contracted Techno Three Uganda Ltd, Ps Construction to start constructing Biiso market and two other markets.
The contractor was expected to complete work by December last year but faced some delays.
The site manager of Biiso main market, Mr Moses Odongo, said they would hand over the market by the end of this month.
“We are left with few works at the site, we have completed all the installations and we are in the final stages,” he said.
Mr Odongo attributed the delays to lack of building materials.
The market is expected to accommodate about 2,000 vendors.
The chairperson of Biiso Town Council, Mr Peter Oketch, said the market will increase local revenue.
“We expect this market to attract more business in our town which will enable us to collect more revenue because we expect more traders to come,” he said.
Mr Oketch said ever since they were elevated to a town council, they have been experiencing budget cuts and they were depending on little collected local revenue.
Ms Sheila Naturinda, the communication specialist for ARSDP and USMID projects of World Bank, said they will open all three markets by March.
She said they are currently validating vendors who will occupy the markets.
The vendors, who were originally occupying the old market, are now operating in an open space donated by the Buliisa MP, Mr Stephen Birahwa Mukitale.
Ms Alice Kasiime, a vendor, asked leaders not to levy high taxes when they open the market.
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