Thiès: UNACOIS tackles taxes, fairs, and unsanitary market conditions

Elected departmental president of the National Union of Traders and Industrialists of Senegal (UNACOIS) at the organization's general assembly in Thiès, Badou Mbaye unveiled the main priorities of his term. The new leader intends to make the defense of traders and the modernization of markets the major focuses of his work.

For Badou Mbaye, the first challenge is to strengthen UNACOIS so that it can fully play its role as the voice of traders. He promises to dedicate himself to defending their interests in the face of rising taxes, abusive economic controls, and the numerous burdens placed on those working in the sector.

The new departmental president also wants to challenge local authorities on their responsibilities. He denounces the lack of hygiene, lighting, and security in the markets, believing that town halls should not limit themselves to collecting business licenses, but should ensure better maintenance of market infrastructure.

The new president's other priority is combating the proliferation of trade fairs. According to Badou Mbaye, these events, which are multiplying in the city of Thiès, are seriously harming market vendors. He states that he has already discussed this issue with the mayor of Thiès, Babacar Diop, and calls on all vendors to unite to defend their interests.

The departmental president of UNACOIS also intends to find solutions to the problem of the chaotic occupation of public spaces. In his view, this situation stems primarily from a lack of space in markets. He advocates for the construction of modern markets capable of accommodating the thousands of young vendors who currently operate in the streets.

Finally, Badou Mbaye advocated for greater consideration of the informal sector in public policies. He believes that traders, motorcycle taxi drivers, and coffee vendors make significant contributions to job creation and the dynamism of the national economy. Therefore, he calls on the government and President Bassirou Diomaye Faye to implement support and guidance measures to enable these actors to fully develop their businesses.