Feasibility studies for the construction of a Jumuiya market in Busia is expected to kick off in February 2020, Trade Mark East Africa (TMEA) official has said.
Speaking to KNA after paying a courtesy call on the County Commissioner on Tuesday, Simon Konzolo TMEA official from Nairobi said the team will then move to designing the cross border market.
“Once we are done with making the design, we can then move to the construction,” he said, adding that works will only proceed if feasibility studies prove that the project is viable.
Konzolo added that the team is still holding talks with stakeholders in Busia to find out how best to carry out the project.
The project under the Ministry of East African Community is being supported by Trade Mark East Africa to the tune of Sh.1billion.
He stated that they had a challenge with the initial consultant over the cost and the entire plan.
“We have now been forced to go back to the drawing board and find out who can do it,” he said, adding that the issue was a little bit out of their control.
The official at the same time said that the people entrusted with the design works will come out with the project’s time frame.
“But based on past experiences, it is not a project which will be done within a short period,” he stated adding that it will be done in phases.
He further stated that the resources into it might be more than what Trade Mark East Africa has promised but other development partners might be called upon to complement their contributions.
The Busia County Commissioner (CC), Jacob Narengo commended TMEA for the initiative, stating that it will make security operations at the border much easier.
Narengo stated that the porous border was a major challenge with most traders taking advantage of it to evade taxation.
“We have sensitized the local residents on the use of COMESA simplified document but some traders still take advantage of the non- designated points to ferry goods.
By Salome Alwanda