Traders of markets and business centres managed by the Bamenda City Council in the North West region of Cameroon will not pay rent for a period of two months, beginning from this April, the City Mayor has said.

According to Mayor Paul Achobong, this decision seeks to help lighten the burden of the traders who have to cope with ghost towns and now the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic consequences.

The move is thus a way for the Bamenda City Council Mayor to add his voice to the fight against COVID-19 pandemic.

The traders involved in this exoneration are those working at the Bamenda main market, the Nkwen, Ntarikon, and food market.

Mayor Paul Achobong has assured the traders that those who have already paid their rent beyond the month of April and even that of May will be taken into consideration.

The petty traders in these markets have not been left out of the Mayor’s decision.

“The petty traders who come to sell one thing or the other and pay a hundred frs will equally be exempted from paying that amount for a period of two months” Mayor Paul Achobong said.

As far as precautionary measures against the COVID-19 killer virus are concerned, Mayor Paul urged the traders to ensure the markets and business centres in which they work remain clean and safe for their health and that of their customers.

Markets have been pointed out as possible breeding grounds for the rapid transmission of the Coronavirus due to their sanitary and over crowding states.