Herat’s Jadea-i-Lelami market stallers complain high rents

HERAT CITY (Pajhwok): Market stallers of the second hand items in western Herat province have complained against poor market condition and high rents of their stalls saying they were unable to pay their rent.

Ali Ahmad, one of the stallers of Jada-i-Lilami in Herat City, told Pajhwok Afghan News Company that had the construction contract of Jada-i-Lilami charged them monthly rent 3,500 afs.

He added market stalls are mad in a way in which there is no place for an individual and did not deserve this amount of rent to be paid for.

Nasir, another staller said, due to the low sales, paying that much rent is back breaking for them while they are forced to pay the rent from their pocket money.

“Stalls in this shape worth only 1,500 afs monthly rent each, but we are asked for 3,500 afs monthly rent, one stall occupied 1.5 meters of area, the vendor cannot sit in it”. Nasir said.

“We were not asked for stalls rent rent in the past but now we are asked for it while we are not offered any services by the contracting company, some venders said.

However some of the shopkeepers also complain from a chaotic situation in front of their shops, the peddlers made it very crowded for the pedestrians, they said.

Abdul Wahab, one of the shopkeepers said, stalls were taken from the road and placed on footpath which made it very hard for the pedestrians to walk.

He said shopkeepers has to pay their rent as well, so the stallers must be provided a special place because it hampered the view of the entire city, Abdul Wahad said.

Officials of the Contracting Company said, about 700 of market stalls have built in Jadae Lelami Froshi, the stalls at the northern side of the road are charged 3,500 afs monthly rent while the stalls at the southern side are charged 3,000 afs monthly rent.

Sayed Nazir Hashimi, the administrative director of the contracting company told Pajhwok Afghan News, they have decreased the rent of every stall 500 afs according the dwindling market situation of the market.

Mohammad Nasir Yarmal, the spokesman of the municipality said, the rent of every stall decreased up to 30 percent according to the market condition.

Building these stalls were a good step towards jobs generation for the youth, Yarmal said.

It is worth mentioning that Jadae Lelami Froshi is one of the most crowded parts of Herat city where the jewelry and clothing markets are also situated.

Stallers had asked the government to help them with decreasing the duty and the rents of the stalls. They believe the punched rents on these stalls were back breaking for them.

Aw/nh

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