By Moses Kamara
The Freetown City Council (FCC) has warned residents against individuals fraudulently collecting money during an ongoing market women registration exercise under the Heat Index Insurance Project, saying the process is free of charge.
The council said it had received reports of people moving through markets in the capital falsely claiming to represent the programme while demanding payments from traders.
FCC said registration under the initiative, implemented with support from AB Entheos Ltd., is free for market women selling perishable goods across designated markets in Freetown.
The affected markets include Dove Cut, Hagan Street, Bombay, Congo, Salad Ground, Lumley, Allen Town, Portee, Calaba Town, Approved School, Low-Cost and Shell markets.
The council urged market women and residents not to pay any fees or share personal information with individuals lacking official identification, warning that such activities were illegal.
It said it was working with security authorities to investigate the reports and identify those responsible, adding that the public should report suspicious activity to the nearest police station or FCC offices.
FCC said the Heat Index Insurance Project is intended to support vulnerable traders exposed to extreme heat conditions and reiterated its commitment to safeguarding public welfare.
