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Florence Ncube in Victoria Falls
INFORMAL traders have been urged to embrace the use of plastic money to sustain their businesses in the wake of cash shortages.
Victoria Falls Mayor Councillor Sifiso Mpofu told informal traders during the recent official commissioning of Qhubani Curio Market at Sinathankawu and Chinotimba Vegetable Market that the use of plastic money was here to stay and that enterprises who resist it risk losing businesses.
The local authority refurbished the two market centres at a combined cost of $90 000 as part of efforts to provide adequate working space for budding businesses.
“Instead of turning away customers because they do not have cash, vendors should use point of sale machines for easier trading with tourists and residents,” said Councilor Mpofu.
“While council managed to renovate these two markets in the face of economic difficulty, we are still appealing to vendors to pay off their debts which have ballooned to $478 442.
“Such revenue will help develop other markets so they can match international standards.”
Both markets will accommodate a total of 360 vendors. About 105 stalls have already been taken up.
Each vendor pays $0.50 per stall per day to council. Vendors have reportedly defaulted payment for the past years while the council unsuccessfully tried to engage them.
The local authority decided to expand the vending markets as a way of ensuring no one trades on street corners.
The resort town has in the past experienced challenges clearing street vendors most of them Zambians who move around selling goods such as farm produce, second hand clothes and skin lightening creams.
Housing and Community Services director Mr Lot Syatimbula said vending stalls were still open for occupation.
“We are calling upon potential traders to come and occupy these stalls. The council runs seven markets with close to 1 500 stalls and it is our wish that they are fully utilised,” said Mr Syatimbula.
He said the local authority’s vision was to empower the informal sector to contribute to the resort town’s economy.
Chairperson of Chinotimba Vegetable Market Mrs Otilia Ngwenya commended the council for the project.
“We are very grateful as vendors and we would want to applaud management for affording us an opportunity to make contributions on how we wanted the project to be like,” said Mrs Ngwenya.
@huricanefloe
Online Reporter