The administration of the Borough of Krutown and the Liberia Marketing Association (LMA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish a Technical Working Committee aimed at enhancing the collaborative operations of the two institutions.
At the signing ceremony held in the Borough on Thursday, December 19, 2024, LMA’s Chief Executive Officer, Francis Siryon, representing the institution’s president, explained that the agreement would guide the development of a strategic plan to determine the daily volume of garbage generated.
Siryon highlighted that the partnership would focus on zoning the Duala Market, clearing garbage from the market and its surroundings, and determining the daily fees collected from the market area.
The four-count document stipulates that the committee will have four days to finalize the strategic plan for implementation. It further states that upon completing the plan, the committee will be dissolved.
“The committee shall comprise four members from each party to execute this Memorandum of Understanding,” the document noted.
In a brief statement, Madam Elizabeth Sambola stressed the importance of tough enforcement measures to regulate marketers and prevent them from obstructing vehicle and pedestrian movement along the main road.
She blamed the overcrowding of marketers around the main market building and the blocking of major roads on the construction decisions made by the previous government.
“Duala is in a deplorable condition due to the way the building was constructed. They (the government) didn’t consult us. Even the building they constructed is completely different from the blueprint they showed us,” Madam Sambola asserted.
The LMA CEO further emphasized the need for stronger collaboration between her institution and the Borough’s leadership to address road congestion, waste management, and other pressing issues.
Speaking before signing the MOU, Governor Robert B. Teah urged the LMA management to work on preventing Sunday market operations. He described the blocking of the main route from St. Mary’s Catholic Church to the Borough by marketers as a significant inconvenience that affects other citizens’ safety and ease of movement.
“From Caldwell Junction to Beer Factory, the sellers along that route should be relocated to the main market building to clear the streets. Their lives are in danger as they strive to earn their daily bread,” he emphasized.
Governor Teah also expressed dissatisfaction with the unsanitary conditions in the Duala Market, calling on the Liberia Marketing Association to ensure cleanliness within and around the market to prevent illnesses.
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