THE fire that engulfed Kariakoo central market on July 10, 2021 was deliberately set to destroy evidence, President Samia Suluhu Hassan has declared.

In remarks at a presidential luncheon she hosted at the State House in Dar es Salaam for participants in the search and rescue operation following the building that collapsed in the Kariakoo central business district mid-November last year where 31 people lost their lives, the Head of State shared reflections on the central market inferno months after she took office.

"I visited Kariakoo, and the next day, the market was set on fire to erase evidence. Despite this, I decided to rebuild it," she said, stressing the need to strengthen building inspection regulations to ensure proper construction practices, to avoid future disasters.

She similarly unveiled preliminary impressions from the probe team on the collapse of a four storey Kariakoo building in the commercial hub, saying it was linked to fraudulent activities in storage warehouses, in like manner as the Kariakoo central market fire.

The luncheon was organised as fulfilment of a promise made while inspecting the area after cutting short a foreign trip for the global climate crisis conference, to meet with the rescuers to recognise their efforts and patriotism.

She paid tribute to everyone involved in the search and rescue effort, reiterating that the probe committee's report on the tragedy will be made public.

Sharing probe team impressions, she said that the building, which had a load capacity of 250 tonnes, was found to be holding 850 tonnes of goods, thus contributing to the disaster.

The weight overload was for just one building but “I'm sure many others in Kariakoo follow a similar pattern," she affirmed, intimating that much of that cargo hadn’t been taxed, which is why the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) was sent to inspect warehouses in the Kariakoo area.

She emphasised that TRA needs to ensure optimal tax compliance for all traders to foster a level playing field in the business environment.

She also spoke of the government's intention to construct a large, modern market at Jangwani, also accommodating small-scale traders, a position arrived at after complaints that many Kariakoo roads are occupied by informal traders.

The government aims to make Kariakoo a 24-hour business hub, requiring clear roads and secure infrastructure, she said, asserting that TRA needs to create an equitable tax environment.

She stressed the importance of locals retaining business opportunities over foreign traders, she said, while also touching on improving disaster response.

The government plans to invest in search and rescue equipment, which was largely sourced from the private sector during the Kariakoo incident, she stated.

Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said at the occasion that the probe had indicated that rescue operations recovered 112.8m/-, $48,490 along with 631 Chinese yuan, plus 6,920 Kenyan shillings.

‘These funds have been returned to identified owners,” he stated, specifying that the the investigation report is ready for submission to President Samia.

Severine Mushi, chairman of the Kariakoo business community, appealed for equitable taxation and the removal of street traders for smoother business operations.

Martilda Zela, a survivor and chairperson of traders in the collapsed building, noted that many traders lost their capital and have yet to actually recover.