Informal Traders Plead With Government To Reopen Their Small Businesses
The informal sector has asked the government to consider re-opening their small businesses as their source of income has been affected by the indefinite lockdown.
Zimbabwe Chamber for Informal Economy Associations Secretary-General, Mr Wisborn Malaya spoke to the publication and said the government could implement a phased reopening scheme to allow informal traders to earn a living:
A phased approach is more realistic, achievable, manageable, and appreciated. This must include practical, operational conditions from the Government. The same conditions the Government set for the formal sector where other expected health settings are work in progress should apply.
Part of the conditions would be to encourage every informal trader to belong to an association for registration, monitoring, accounting, and compliance processes. This becomes part of the formalisation strategy where everyone in work or business is part of a recognised set up
Malaya justified his request by detailing how informal traders have been affected by the indefinite lockdown:
The elderly who depended on the support of their children are in deep trouble. The same challenges are affecting children so families are now surviving on one meal per day
The government allowed the formal businesses to resume operations but barred informal traders from returning to their workplaces. However, some informal traders have resumed trading in clear defiance of the lockdown restrictions imposed by the government.
