By: Foday Manneh
The Public Relations Officer of the Basse Area Council, Omar Drammeh has disclosed to the Alkamba Times that his institution will generate an estimated amount of D3 million yearly from the rental fees of the new Basse market, constituting some 240 canteens.
“We expect to receive D270, 000 in a month from the market rental fees and an estimated amount of D3.2 million per year,” says Omar Drammeh.
The Basse market, which was ravaged by an inferno in February 2020, was quickly reconstructed in the space of two (2) years by the central government, with an amount reportedly around D100 million.
Following the inauguration in February 2022 and the subsequent allocation of canteens to the various applicants by the Governor’s Office in URR, the new market is now fully functional as businesses have kicked off ahead of the Muslim feast of Eid-Ul-Adha.
Despite stressing that the market is yet to be handed over to the Council from the Governor’s Office, PRO Drammeh said they are already registering progress from the income generated from the market.
“All those operating in the market have paid their advance rental fees to the Council. Some have paid for one, two, and three months in advance,” he said.
“We have upstairs and downstairs with different zones. All the zones have different costs of rent per month whereas others are paying D1000, D1,200, D1,300, and some D1,500,” Drammeh stated.
He added that the rental fees are made cheap and affordable for occupants considering it a public market, not a privately owned property.
Reacting to this development, Alhassan Bah, a businessman in the market, described the fees as fair compared to what he paid in the old days while he appealed.
“I was paying rent for D1200 in the previous market as an external shopkeeper. And right now, I am paying the same price, D1200, which is fair enough.”
“For now, all we need is meat and fish selling points that are not allocated for in the market which is needed,” Alhassan urged.
Mama Jang Camara, another businessman in the market, also shared the same view as Alhassan, but demanded that strict measures be taken against those awarded shops that still have not been occupied by the owners claiming the market is inactive for now.
“People are not coming in because most of those given shops are not operating, saying that the market is not active right now. So how can businesses be active in the market when many of them are selling outside?” he asked.
“The authorities need to take strict rules on this to help us develop by generating the needed income from the market,” Mama Jang said.
