POLICE IN SINGIDA ARE HOLDING TWO BUSINESSMEN FOR ALLEGEDLY HOARDING MORE THAN 24.3 TONS

POLICE in Singida are holding two businessmen for allegedly hoarding more than 24.3 tons of sugar in their respective warehouses.

Singida District Commissioner (DC), Saidi Amanzi told reporters here on Friday that the businessmen were arrested during a crackdown conducted by a special taskforce which included the municipal staff and members from the defence and security committee in the area.
Amanzi said that the crackdown followed a tip off from Good Samaritans, who disclosed that there were some unfaithful traders hiding lots of sugar bags to later sell the commodity at a higher price under the pretext of presence of acute shortage of the commodity

. “During the said crackdown, we nabbed one Mohamed Alute (44), a businessman at Unyankindi area, who was found in possession of 335 bags of 25 kg each and Yusuf Suleiman (39) a trader at Minga area who had 320 bags of sugar each of 50 kg.

Both are residents of Singida town,” the DC said. Following the arrests, the DC has called on all traders in the district to stop hiding essential commodities, including sugar, instead they should sell it at a reasonable price provided by the government, he said.

Meanwhile, Municipal Director for Singida, Joseph Mchina has said the crackdown involving the special Task Force will continue until the vice was eliminated. He warned that traders found hoarding would be regarded as saboteurs under the economic sabotage act.

A survey conducted by the the ‘Sunday News’ shows that one bag of sugar was being sold at 92,650/-, but the artificial shortage created by various business people has raised the price to 115,000/- and 120,000/-per bag. One kilogramme now fetches between 2,400/- and 2,800/-