KARIAKOO Market, the leading commercial hub in the city of Dar es Salaam, reopens today after undergoing extensive renovations to erase marks of the July 2021 fire outbreak.

Hawa Ghasia, chairperson of the Kariakoo Markets Corporation board told journalists over the weekend that traders will once again be able to conduct business, in newly renovated spaces.

Traders who were operating in the market before the fire but had outstanding cave tax debts will be required to settle their debts before being facilitated to return to the market, she said.

“We’ve uploaded the names of traders who were in the market before the fire, and starting today, they will visit the office to receive instructions on filling out forms and signing contracts,” she stated.

“Once we have processed the traders who were previously at the market, we will extend opportunities for new traders to join up and do business,” she explained.

The mid-2021 blaze affected hundreds of traders, pushing the government invest funds for giving the key establishment a fresh look, where John Mtui, a supervising contractor with the National Housing Corporation (NHC), said the reconstruction and renovation works took up 28bn/-.

Main renovation work was carried out by Estim Construction Ltd with the NHC in the role of consulting contractor, while a space use review conducted by the market management showed that 1,520 traders can return to the market to resume their business activities.

A total of 366 traders still owe the corporation 358.5m/- in cave taxes, which they will be required to settle before regaining access to stall space, on the basis of board instructions.

A series of investigations were launched into the cause of the fire, with President Samia Suluhu Hassan lately affirming that the fire was ignited to cover up fraudulent activities, citing large piles of untaxed goods in warehouse.

“When I visited the market and ordered an investigation, they set it on fire to destroy the evidence. But I made the decision to rebuild it so that our traders could continue their business activities,” the president intoned.

Kariakoo Market, a vital commercial centre for the city, also serves as a significant source market for traders all over East Africa, officials say.