City of Joburg includes informal traders in policy formulation

The City of Johannesburg has committed to including informal traders in its policy formulation.

The City said it wanted to grow the local economy by at least 5 per cent and that small business was at the centre of this goal.

This comes after the City hosted a group of informal traders for a roundtable discussion on issues affecting the sector and ways in which the City can improve trading conditions.

The session was hosted at the Metro Centre in Braamfontein and was attended by the Speaker of Council, Vasco da Gama, MMC for Economic Development Leah Knott and MMC for Finance Funzela Ngobeni.

Da Gama said the engagement session provided a platform for informal traders in Johannesburg to contribute to the City’s draft Integrated Development Plan (IDP) for the upcoming financial of year 2019/2020.

Both MMCs advised the informal traders on the kind of support the City offered small to medium enterprises and encouraged informal traders to apply. The officials told the traders about the municipality’s major projects, programmes and service delivery issues.

“All views on how best to take the development of the city forward to curb poverty and unemployment will be considered when drafting the IDP,” said Da Gama.

Among other issues raised by informal traders were the unavailability of trading space, delays in the delivery of promised services, the lack of funding and the proliferation of undocumented migrants in the informal trading space.

Matron Mhlanga, an informal trader, encouraged his peers to work together. “Informal traders that aren’t registered with the City pose a threat to small businesses,” said Mhlanga.

Related article: 

https://northeasterntribune.co.za/228270/informal-traders-want-new-policy-to-liberate-them/

https://northeasterntribune.co.za/203434/informal-traders-have-a-role-in-our-economy/