Formalise petty traders businesses, VP directs

Dar es Salaam. Vice President (VP) Samia Suluhu Hassan has directed regional and district authorities in Iringa to formalise small and medium businesses owned by petty traders in order to help them grow.

Ms Hassan issued the order yesterday when addressing a public rally at Mwembetogwa grounds in Iringa.

The Vice President, who is on her third day of Iringa visit, instructed regional and district authorities to ensure that businesses are formalised and create conducive environment the traders.

“This is my directive to the regional commissioner and district commissioners. The Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) should provide petty traders with Tax Payer’s Identification Numbers (TIN) to enable them pay tax,” she said.

She said formalisation of small businesses in Dar es Salaam has so far shown good signs that both traders and government can benefit.

“Register petty traders, know their locations, connect them with financial institutions and health insurance funds and provide them with good centres where they will be carry out their activities,” she noted.

She commended the regional authorities for closing some streets during weekends to enable the petty traders to operate as an open market, saying it was a good start towards the formalisation of the informal sector.

Ms Hassan, who launched a Sh340 billion project yesterday which is targeted to promote tourism in the southern zone of Tanzania, called on residents to be involved in the project.

“Construction of Nduli Airport and a road connecting Iringa town and Ruaha National Park isn’t part of this project. But, good performance during implementation will attract our partners, the World Bank, to provide more fund for the two projects,” she said, noting that without the two the whole project was a waste of time.

She said residents are challenged to identify and make better use of opportunities brought by tourism development in the southern zone.