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Dar shop owners incensed by Chinese ’petty’ traders
2006-01-20 08:33:44
By Correspondent Futuna Seleman
A group of loosely organised indigenous traders at Kariokoo area in Dar es Salaam City have threatened to close down their shops enmass to protest the influx of Chinese businesspeople in their midst who they are accusing of practicing unfair trade.
The traders want the government to stamp out Chinese traders in the city, who are dealing with ’petty’ wholesale and retail trade at the expense of local business community.
’We request President Jakaya Kikwete to intervene on this matter. There are so many Chinese doing petty business at Kariokoo. They should be sent home or be told to invest in big industries,’ said the spokesperson of the group of about 50 traders, Kitosi Olomy.
Olomy said the Chinese traders were pushing them out of business as they were importing goods, especially shoes and clothes from their country and selling the same at extremely low prices to undercut indigenous shop owners.
He said sometimes the Chinese were selling goods to them on wholesale prices for reselling only for them to start retailing the same kind of goods at cheaper prices.
’This is unfair. It is unethical,’ he said.
Some of the Chinese were even driving handcarts around the streets selling shoes, he said. ’About five Chinese use a single license belonging to a Tanzanian to operate their businesses,’ he alleged.
He said they camouflage in business owned by Tanzanians who are given handsome commissions.
Another trader, Pascal Chuwa said the traders from China had become a big nuisance as they were using underhand tactics to drive their competitors out of business.
The shop owners in the group include Julius Shio, Tadey Ambroce, Clemence Ambrose among others.
The group plans to seek registration to be able to fight for its rights, according to Chuwa.
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