Hundreds of traders in Merkato, the biggest open-air market in Africa, have embarked on strike action, causing significant business disruptions in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa.
Some of the traders told APA on Saturday that the strike was a protest against what they call the “ongoing” tax hikes they are facing.
The strike has been ongoing for four consecutive days, with businesses closing their doors.
Some of their grievances include tax hikes implemented to fund projects launched without consulting the residents or the business community.
The projects, according to the government, are for the corridor and river side development.
But many of the businessmen believe that the government has plans to sell the area to investors from the Gulf Region and recalled previous instances of privatization when the administration faced financial challenges.
According to some of the traders, the strike was due to rumors and concerns that the government was planning to demolish parts of the area as part of a corridor development project—a scheme that has already displaced hundreds of thousands of Addis Ababa residents.
They added that two fire outbreaks within a month in the area—one of which completely destroyed a business plaza—have further alarmed the local business community.
Meanwhile, APA reports that the strike is spreading to neighboring areas such as Awutobes Tera, Sebategna, Gojam Berenda and Telkehaymanot, where businesses are already closing down.
And in an apparent attempt to ease tensions, the Addis Ababa City Administration announced on Thursday that it had donated 20 million Ethiopian birr to businesses destroyed by fire.
However, these efforts of the government have not convinced the business owners to reopen their shops in the last three days and the residents in the Sheger City, a ring of towns surrounding Addis Ababa, have been affected by the strike action.
MG/gik/APA