Business IDs alone not enough, say petty-traders
Ilala Municipality’s petty traders, also known as Machinga, queue for identity cards at Arnatouglo Hall in Dar es Salaam yesterday. The IDs were given to them by President John Magufuli. PHOTO SALIM SHAO.
What you need to know:
Small traders qualifying for the recent Identity Cards issued by President Magufuli have said the distribution exercise must be transparent, but the costs has remained a challenge for most of them.
Dar es Salaam. Some petty-traders in the city have given their views on the 675,000 business identification cards issued to them by President John Magufuli.
The President distributed the business IDs on Monday during his meeting with ministers and regional commissioners in Dar es Salaam.
The traders requested him to be flexible when dealing with trade, while others asked for transparency in the distribution of identification cards and a reduction in the cost of obtaining them.
The Head of State said the aim of the IDs was to officially recognise the petty-traders and enable them to get out of daily harassment.
The president distributed 25,000 IDs to each regional commissioner. He directed the public officers to distribute them in their areas at a cost of Sh20, 000 per ID.
Speaking yesterday in special interviews on different occasions, traders in Buguruni and Mabibo claimed that the President’s move to distribute the IDs to petty traders was good, but they requested him to be flexible on trade policy to help them grow their capitals.
“My question to the President is: How will these IDs he is issuing to us help us grow our businesses? I’m asing because life is hard as businesses are not vibrant,” queried Heri Mkumbukwa, a fruit vendor at Mabibo.
Mkumbukwa suggested that the government ought to come up with measures that ensured there was an environment where money in circulation was abundant, saying many petty businesses had collapsed because their owners were facing hardships.
“I’m requesting President Magufuli to implement measures that can improve the business environment. Having IDs without circulation of money will not help anybody,” he suggested.
One of Mabibo Market’s fish mongers, who revealed she was a mother of two, said: “We have received the IDs, but we are requesting the President to provide us with money so that we can do business. Our enterprises have become dormant and out capitals have been exhausted,” she said.
Garment petty trader Juma Kisailo complained that sales had plummeted, suggesting that the President’s should have been accompanied by a supportive business policy to improve the investment climate.
“We buy a bale of clothes at Sh100,000, but it takes up to a month before making any sales,” he lamented.
Food vendor Chandele Sweetbert asked how they could obtain the identification cards, expressing worry that they could stay for months without getting them.
