Tax Levied on Traders of Dacat Market

The Government Delegate to the Douala City Council has signed a communiqué for the traders to pay tax of occupation of space.
The Government Delegate to the Douala City Council Dr Fritz Ntone Ntone, has issued a communiqué requesting traders of Dacat market in Ndokoti to start paying the tax of occupation of space. The deadline according to this communiqué to pay the tax is September 26. The communiqué he issued also stated that if they do not pay by the stipulated date the council will use force to recover the tax.
The Dacat market is a private market controlled by Sociéte Civil Immobilier, SILI, and was constructed some three to four years ago. Talking to a trader in the market who wanted to be anonymous; he said when the market was created people did not want to move to the market. The market remained vacant for some time before people started moving in gradually. He said the creation of the market was part of efforts to depopulate other markets. “It has not been very difficult to convince people to move to the market”. He added that some people come and even leave after a while, because there is no sensitisation. He said there are some people who stay in Ndokoti but do not even know that there is a market which exists there. He added they do not make sufficient profit yet the council is still adding taxes to take away the little they make from sales.
He said in the market to pay for a shop is FCFA 50,000 before tax declaration to the council which will be determined by goods sold and cost price. “This is already too much and now which other tax do they want to instil?” he asked. The trader said the market is still empty, shops are still vacant and instead sensitising more traders to move to the market and sensitising the public on the existence of the market they are only interested in taxing them. Those who do not have shops he said who sell on empty space or on the corridors of the market have no tax to pay, he said hoping that the new tax will not include them.
The head of the market whose name was got as Benedict was not on seat but after several attempts he was got on phone but refused to comment on the situation claiming the competent person was not on seat.

EFFA TAMBENKONGHO