Vendors operating at the new Oshakati Open Market have still not started paying rental fees for the stalls after the three-month grace period expired over a month ago.
Some of the vendors who spoke to Namibian Sun confirmed that they have not started paying rent for the stalls allocated to them when the N$90-million facility was inaugurated on 11 March. According to the vendors, council has not communicated with them in this regard.
Oshakati Town Council CEO Werner Iita Monday upon enquiry said the vendors will soon pay the rental tariffs, adding that council is busy looking at the proposed tariffs compiled by the committee responsible for the open market’s affairs.
The committee comprises vendors, councillors and Oshakati Town Council staff.
Iita said by next week Monday, the proposed tariffs which he described as reasonable, will be explained to the vendors by the committee and if that consultative meeting is fruitful, the final implementation will be effective from September 1.
“They have submitted the proposed tariffs to the council for final decision. It’s a process and now the council took a decision that they need to go to the open market and explain to the vendors the cost of the expected tariffs as from August 1,” he explained.
He added that the proposed tariffs will vary from one stall to another based on various criteria which include the income earned by the vendors from their various businesses.
Currently, the only service being paid for is electricity used by some of the vendors operating at the facility while water is supplied free of charge to all vendors.
The open market accommodates 500 vendors who were moved from the old open market which is metres away from the new facility.
The market also has a 49-metre-high observation tower which is not being used at the moment and is still closed.
Iita explained that the tower will remain unused until a suitable manager for the structure is found.
“We don’t want anybody to go up the tower because anything can happen. Currently we are getting proposals and we shall investigate those proposals,” he explained.
Iita said the initial aim of the observation tower was for people to view the town of Oshakati and as a recreational facility.
KENYA KAMBOWE