By: Karimatou Jallow
Vendors at the Serekunda ‘Sandika’ market have said the size of the ‘Sandika’ is not favourable to them as the place is too small to occupy all the vendors. Moreover, they complained about the big trucks that park in the ‘Sandika’ space as this also affects their businesses.
Babucarr Ceesay, a vendor at the Serekunda ‘Sandika’ said the ‘Sandika’ is very tight and small and that being the case, they do not make many sales, especially “if these big trucks occupied the place.”
“Because of the size of the ‘Sandika’, we have no choice but to sell on the highway, however, we are also deprived of that as well because whenever we display our goods to sell we are being stopped by the police and told that it is not a selling point while we are paying taxes every day but we are not giving the opportunity to sell comfortably as we wish,” he told The Fatu Network.
Ceesay said they have been facing such challenges since the era of Yaya Jammeh but no one has ever come to their help. Moreover, he urged the current government to help them increase the size of the ‘Sandika’ market so that everybody will have the opportunity to sell their goods without many challenges.
Nedy Njie, also a vendor, said because of the small size of the place, many of them have no choice but to go around and sell their products because they don’t have permanent seats in the ‘Sandika’. She also lamented that it is from the small businesses they feed their families, which is why they have no choice but to sell in such a condition.
“The only reason we go around in the market and sell our goods is that we don’t have a permanent seat in the ‘Sandika’ and that is a result of the small size of the place. It is always not easy with us because the sun is always hot which can cause us serious sickness,” she said.
Njie also called on the government to intervene and address these issues because they are paying taxes like any other vendors in the ‘Sandika’ and have also the right as anyone of them.
“Sometimes we will be here from morning to afternoon but will not make any sell which is not good for us as business people and that is as a result of the trucks that park in front of our shop from morning to afternoon and no one will say anything because they are permitted by the police to park in front of our shops,” a source told the Fatu Network.
Moreover, the source said to ensure the ‘Sandika’ is free and comfortable for all the vendors, the source suggests the government look for a special place where these trucks will park and display their goods while the ‘Sandika’ be made a place to sell goods only.
