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Blessings Chidakwa-Herald Reporter
Harare City Council has launched its small and medium enterprises policy which it sees as the framework and sets strategies for implementation, coordination, monitoring and evaluation to enhance development and growth of the SME sector.
According to the policy the main components include policy framework for SME support, SME financing, regulatory changes including licensing of informal businesses and provision of defined trading spaces and reserved trading areas, and SMEs entrepreneurship business education and training.
Speaking on the new policy, director of housing and community services Mr Addmore Nhekairo said the policy would guide the city in the management and transformation of the SME sector into enterprises that would contribute meaningfully to economic growth and creation of sustainable employment.
“The broad objective of the policy being to transform the SME sector economy into modern and sustainable small to medium enterprises moving towards fully fledged businesses for sustainable economic growth and development,” he said.
All new markets and trading facilities would be properly planned and regulated and the policy would encourage mixed use in planning.
“The policy shall give guidelines on the registration of SMEs in Harare and that all unlicensed SME sector businesses shall be considered operating illegally and will be subjected to enforcement by council.
“A key highlight is that local community members shall be prioritised in terms of allocation of trading space (not that 60 percent of traders operating in Budiriro are from Glen View),” said Mr Nhekairo.
Mr Nhekairo said council would be responsible for determining the tariffs in consultation with stakeholders and rentals would be paid for trading space.
Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume, SME chairperson Denford Ngadziore, Harare town clerk Engineer Chisango, acting chamber secretary, civic organisations, SMEs, and other officials attended the event held at Town House yesterday.
Online Reporter