Chronicle Editor
Pride Mahlangu, Business Reporter
GOVERNMENT has included Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and the informal sector in the Tripartite Negotiating Forum among other proactive measures meant to create an enabling environment for growth of the sector.
The Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development said this in a statement yesterday where it gave an outline of key issues discussed during a recent stakeholders meeting for SMEs.
“Recently the Ministry convened a dialogue between Government ministries and agencies and SMEs and informal sector associations on key challenges affecting the sector.
“In a meeting attended by 13 SMEs and informal sector associations, the parties agreed to work on inclusion of the sector in the Tripartite Negotiating Forum (TNF) and simplification of taxation systems,” read the statement.
“The Government also acknowledges the challenges being experienced by the sector and will continue its efforts towards solving them.”
Over the years Government has recognised that the SMEs and informal sector provides employment to about 80 percent of the country’s working population and contributes above 60 percent to the national gross domestic product (GDP), a key economic indicator.
“As such Government has also agreed to work on establishment of a social protection scheme, which suits the circumstances of the sector and working with local authorities to ensure an improved working environment for SMEs.
“The Ministry will continue to facilitate dialogue between the sector and the Government,” it said.
The Ministry said it has drawn a compendium of SMEs and informal sector associations to ensure no one was left behind and also called upon all players in the sector to come forward and participate in the dialogue platform. — @pridesinstincts
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