Anambra govt empowers shop owners with ‘shopumu’

The Anambra State government has introduced an empowerment program called “Shopumu project” for shop owners in all the markets and major streets in the state.

According to a release signed by the state Commissioner for Commerce, Trade, Industry and Wealth Creation, Dr. Christian Madubuko and his Lands Physical Planning and Rural Development counterpart, Mr. Nnamdi Onukwuba and made available to newsmen in Awka, the state capital said “Shopumu Project” will lead to the issuance of Certificates of Occupancy to shop owners who will consequently be privileged to use their shop as collateral to obtain soft loans from participating bank to fund their businesses.

Other major benefits of the programme are entitlement of shop owners to appropriate compensation in case of disasters and or demolition by government for reasons of overriding public interest, promoting transparency in the collection of and accountability for all revenue generated in each market as well as bringing the government closer to shop owners as they will now be assigned specific identification numbers which assures them easy access and direct interactions with relevant government MDAs.

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The commissioners also disclosed that members of the project team comprising Ministry of land, Ministry of Commerce and Trade, and AIRS led by INOK consulting will visit shopowners in all the markets and major streets of Anambra according to a timetable to be published soon.

The commissioners also advised all shopowners to liaise with chairmen of their market unions to provide information to the visiting team.