Accumulated Utility Bills haunt Vendors In Arua Main Market

By Idarus Pajobo

Arua

Vendors in Arua central market have raised complaints over the power and water shortage at the market saying it haunts their businesses.   Currently, the market relays more on solar energy and when there is no sunshine, the whole building is in darkness.  What the vendors believe is that, the officials have failed to pay the over accumulated bills to the West Nile Rural Electrification company (WENRECO)  that supplies electrical power to west Nile region.

Vendors who chose anonymity raised their voices while expressing their grief.  ‘’of course when there is no power, there is no business, you only attract customers when there is power  so if customers don’t see the quality of yours goods you will definitely loose, the person will just pass by because they can’t see the goods very well even if you welcome them. So we really need power, without power we can never have sales, let the leaders make sure the suppliers give us power if possible so that we earn our livings.’’

And the others believe that the only reason for unstable power according to the officials is that there is a lot of money to be paid to WENRECO the regional power suppliers. ‘’ Power comes and goes, most times we don’t have power so what they tell us is that because of low sun shine, the solar batteries don’t charge, so every time the sunshine is not that strong, we are in darkness. For the WENRECO, We have been told that the power bill has over accumulated and the power is disconnected. I wish the leaders pay the bills’’ Said one of the vendors.

One of the workers in the toilets at the market added that, when he lucks water, he is forced to employ people from outside to fetch for him water, ‘’ When water at this place is off, I resort to getting laborers from outside so that they bring for me water in Jerry-cans, I normally take the issues to my bosses, like in this month, but last month we would even go a week without water.’’ With the efforts put to reach the officials, it remained fruitless. The vendors are only left with a hope that one day this problem will be solved.