Informal trading remains an important source of income, but it must be conducted in designated areas to prevent disorder and maintain cleanliness in towns and cities, Urban and Rural Development Minister James Sankwasa has told the National Assembly.

Sankwasa acknowledged the economic importance of informal traders while defending local authorities’ responsibility to regulate where businesses operate. He noted that authorities are working to establish spaces where informal trading can take place, particularly in informal settlements. 

The minister’s response followed concerns raised by NUDO MP Vetaruhe Kandorozu about the removal of street traders by police and local authorities. Kandorozu highlighted how this removal affects traders, whose goods are confiscated and who lose income when they are forced out of trading areas.

Sankwasa distinguished between traders who operate in authorised areas and those who set up structures or businesses in places that are not approved for commercial activity. Sankwasa urged traders to follow authority requirements instead of conducting business wherever they choose.

Sankwasa also cautioned against turning disputes over trading into political issues, arguing that leaders have a duty to educate communities about the rules that govern businesses in urban and rural areas.