Local business community urged to work together to revive economy
RANDBURG – The president of the local chamber of commerce says stricter lockdown restrictions wrecked an ailing local economy apart in the past 19 months.
The president of the Randburg/Fourways Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Richard Ntjana, described the move to Level 2 of lockdown as music to their ears.
This was after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on September 12 that the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) had decided to move the country to Level 2 of lockdown restrictions following the decline in new infections in most parts of the country.
Ntjana said stricter lockdown restrictions have harmed and wrecked an ailing local economy apart in the past 19 months.
“We are very excited with the president’s and the NCCC’s decision to put the country back to alert Level 2 of the lockdown. This is in fact good music to our ears,” he said.
“With ease of restrictions and more activities, we are hopeful that the country’s economy will be back on track towards recovery. Many businesses have closed down resulting in millions of job losses.”
Ntjana added that 13 million people had applied for the social relief grant.
“More than 13 million [people] have applied for the R350 social relieve fund and these are the people who have no income at all. We need to work hard, work smarter and work together because this economy needs us [the business community] to make things happen.”
Ntjana concluded, “We need to rebuild our fallen economy and put it back to the number-one spot in the continent.”
