LCC to surcharge owners of 2700 mobile money booths

Government has directed the Lusaka City Council (LCC) to surcharge owners of about 2700 mobile money booths operating illegally in Lusaka.

And the LCC has given a 21 days ultimatum to mobile service operators in the country to ensure that mobile money booths are designated legal, safe and healthy places to trade from.

The directive and ultimatum follows a meeting Lusaka Province Minister Bowman Lusambo had with mobile service operators at his office.

Mr. Lusambo had summoned mobile service operators after he received a petition from agents and dealers whose mobile service booths have been confiscated by the LCC.

During the meeting the LCC revealed that there are 3000 mobile service booths  in Lusaka City but that only 300 are listed on its data base as the ones that are tax compliant.

And Lusaka Deputy Mayor Chilando Chitangala explained that the council has been confiscating booths partly because it wants to ensure sanity in the city and avoid outbreaks of diseases .

Mrs. Chitangala says the council will however work closely with mobile service companies to ensure that their agents relocate their booths in markets and places where they can access toilets.

Speaking earlier representatives of mobile service companies asked for more time to be allocated to them in order for them to find adequate and sanitary places their agents’ can operate from.

And Mr. Lusambo says there is need for sanity to be maintained in the way business is conducted in the city in order to prevent outbreaks of diseases.