Medium trucks will pay breaking fee of 350, 000 shillings for limestone up from 150, 000 shillings while the trailers will be charged from 250 – 500, 000 shillings. The same vehicles will further pay loading fees from 100, 000 to 200, 000 shillings depending on the size of the vehicle.
Tapac Sub County Council in Moroto District has passed a bylaw seeking to increase charges on Lorries transporting limestone from Kosiroi mining site to Tororo.
Tororo Cement Ltd mines limestone from Kosiroi in Tapac after it secured a mining lease in 2002. However, the residents are accusing the company of exploiting the community by paying cheaply for their labour.
The bylaw was on Tuesday presented to Moroto district Council for endorsement. It was tabled by the Tapac Sub County Chief Joseph Onyang during an extraordinary council sitting at the Moroto District Chambers.
Once endorsed by the district into a bylaw, the transporters will pay fees of up to 500, 000 shillings from 100,000 to 250,000 shillings per vehicle and loading fees to the tune of 200, 000 shillings depending on the tonnage. Daily, about 100 vehicles transport limestone from Tapac to Tororo.
Medium trucks will pay 350, 000 shillings for limestone up from 150, 000 shillings while the trailers will be charged from 250,000-500, 000 shillings. The same vehicles will further pay loading fees from 100, 000 to 200,000 shillings depending on the size of the vehicle.
While presenting the bylaw to the district council, Onyang said the bylaw would not only address exploitation of the local community but also raise local revenue and formalize the operations of the miners in the area with the local community.
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Breach of the bylaw if passed in its current form attracts a fine of not more than 4 currency points (100, 000 Shs.).
Elijah Lomiat, the councillor of Tapac Parish notes that in August last year, over 370 artisan minors and loaders from Tapac petitioned the company for discussion about the rates but the company allegedly rejected dialogue.
He appealed to the district leadership to pass the bylaw such that the people’s plight can be addressed. Cosmas Ayepa, the Workers’ representative and the Secretary Social Services in Moroto district welcomes the bylaw.
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The bylaw was deferred to a select committee comprising five councillors and 4 technical officers led by the Chief Administrative Officer to review the bylaw before its tabled to the main council meeting for approval.
Aron Situma, the Moroto Deputy Chief Administrative Officer promised to steer the review process of the bylaw before it becomes a working document.
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Story by Stanley Ebele
