Gasabo: How extended curfew hours are spurring business recovery 

By Jean Claude Kubwimana.

Some traders in Gasabo District say their businesses will fully recover if the curfew hours continue to go beyond midnight.

They testified this as they compare their businesses operations in the two periods of the Covid-19 pandemic namely (the beginning with lockdowns and the current period with lifted lockdowns).

Warda Umuringa, the Manager of Umuringa Supermarket located at Kisementi, Remera sector, Gasabo district has a business that retails various commodities.

She told this news website that she is on course to return to normal functionality after the government extended curfew hours following the decrease in new Covid-19 cases.

She said that they manage to get clients the day-long waiting to close at10:00 pm.

“Extended working hours have played a pivotal role in our businesses recovery. We thank the government for easing Covid-19 restrictions and allowing us to work until 11 pm,” Umuringa said.

She said that they had learned to adapt to the situation of the pandemic that hit their working strategy because there was nothing they could do other than prevent the spread of the virus.

She advises traders to resist to the situation and wait for things to come to normal.

 

“We know the pandemic is still around and we have to comply with preventive measures while we strive for a normal situation,” Umuringa said.

Valens Musabyimana, a trader from Remera sector is the manager of a restaurant.

He said that they close activities every day at 9:00 pm and they have a hope that the situation will normalize as the country puts more efforts in preventing the pandemic transmission.

“There is a good improvement now, a client can see me here any time before the curfew hour. Before, I could close the door at 5:00 pm when many clients were still waiting to be served. Currently the problem may be the poverty of people whose purchasing power has reduced, but we are observing some progress,” Musabyimana said.

However, he said that prices on the market have gone high.

“You can buy something today and tomorrow find it doubled,” he said.

“All our sources of income have almost disappeared but we are still paying rent and taxes. I think a sustainable solution is not working at 100 percent the whole 24 hours. Rather, complying with the preventive measures and price reduction on commodities can help the citizens to return to  normal in terms of business operation and goods affordability, ” Musabyimana said.

According to Pauline Umwali, the District Executive Administrator of Gasabo district, traders should not worry about taxes since these are established to regulate hygiene and tax compliance at commercial places.

“The districts of Kigali city are not able to provide guidelines on tax reduction. All traders must pay monthly hygiene taxes on their work places; and the annual tax they pay is not high.” Umwali added.

Umwali said that Covid-19 disrupted the economy at all sides of the community.

She urged the citizens to not worry as the pandemic is slowing down.

“There is a hope to return to normal very soon as long as we all comply with the preventive measures. Citizens have not to worry, all they need is to help the government to abide with the guidelines in place and we hope that the businesses will fully recover and work as normal. So far, I thank citizens for their compliance in preventing the pandemic transmission,” She said.

She said that to date, few people can be caught violating the guidelines, saying however that   traders’ representatives chose a volunteer among them to help others respect the measures.

“These volunteers are playing a significant role in welcoming clients and redirecting them to respect the preventive measures. We continue to fine those who violate the guidelines to serve as a lesson to the rest of the citizens to comply,” Umwali added.

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