Representatives of the traders meet Kalisto Ladu, the Mayor of Juba City Council on Saturday/Logonyi Denis.

Some traders in Juba have closed their shops in protest of what they call mistreatment by city authorities.

Shops in Konyo-Konyo, Munuki, and Jebel markets are among those closed.

This comes a day after the traders accused Juba City Council of charging unnecessary fines and levying exorbitant taxes.

These are some of the general challenges, the traders say, they are facing under the Juba City Council and the chamber of commerce.

The traders say they are asked to pay fines for unnecessary reasons.

Some traders who spoke to Eye Radio said they pay fines ranging from 50,000 SSP to 300,000 SSP depending on the size of the shop.

But the City Council said it was enforcing laws on traders who have not adhered to city regulations.

“What happened yesterday was just a crackdown enforcing the public order and this crackdown is for those who are against the law and we will fine them according to the law,” the Chief Executive Officer of Juba City Council, Martin Simon told Eye Radio yesterday.

He denies that city authorities are collecting money from the traders.

“There is nothing like collecting money, this is what I know,”  he added.

Now the traders have closed most of their shops in protest.

The Mayor of Juba City Council, Kalisto Ladu is meeting a group of businessmen—mostly Sudanese and Somalis over the matter.