MAUN STREET TRADERS WANT PERMANENT SOLUTION Esther Mmolai reporting for BOPA from Maun Street traders operating in Maun have appealed to the North West District Council (NWDC) to come up with a lasting solution regarding the establishment of permanent sites for their small businesses. The vendors echoed their grievances during a special meeting with the council management on June 18 following the council’s decision to demolish their kiosks last year. The council’s decision had left them with no place to operate from, they protested, calling on the council to assist them with a market place instead of frustrating their efforts to be economically independent. Leading the objection, the chairman of the local hawkers’ association, Mr Makhao Mafoko, argued that the council should not have taken such a unilateral decision of demolishing their structures without prior consultations. Mr Mfoko said the council should have considered the fact that the informal sector was critical in boosting the local economy; hence they should have solicited the small traders’ input before implementing such a drastic decision. He said the council should have ensured that small businesses survived and grew to improve the economy of the district and the country at large. “It was frustrating to implement your decision without taking us on board,” he argued, pointing out that, though small, their businesses were vital for supporting their families in term s of schools fees, food, and clothes, among other things. For his part, the council chairman, Mr Lathang Molonda appreciated the local vendors for requesting a meeting with the council to air their concerns. Cllr Malonda noted that the forum marked the beginning of their journey in tackling entrepreneurship issues collectively for the betterment of the local economy. “We consider the informal sector as a key stakeholder in the development of the economy, however, it is important that policies and laws in place are complied with,” he pointed out, adding that the laws were there to guide and protect them on certain processes and services. “Some policies are there to protect the environment and they cannot be compromised, including high standards of hygiene on products sold,” he stressed. Mr Molonda said it was upon the council to ensure that relevant policies and laws were implemented and followed accordingly. He indicated that the licenses issued to vendors did not allow them to put permanent structures nor did they allow them to sell food at clubs. NWD Council Secretary Mr Moswete appreciated the cooperation and positive attitude displayed by the small entrepreneurs, saying they all pointed to the achievement of the goal of poverty eradication. He assured them that the council was doing all it could to assist them with a market place and urged them to look for plots which would not interfere with other land uses.
Posted on: Fri, 20 Jun 2014 08:43:42 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015