MINISTER DAVIES TO UNVEIL THE NATIONAL UPLIFTMENT STRATEGY FOR INFORMAL TRADERS

MINISTER DAVIES TO UNVEIL THE NATIONAL UPLIFTMENT STRATEGY FOR INFORMAL TRADERS

BY BRIAN KAJENGO

The South African informal business sector will receive a boost when the Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies unveils a multimillion rand strategy to uplift the conditions and operations of informal businesses in the country.

The unveiling of the National Informal Business Upliftment Strategy (NIBUS) which hosted by the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) in partnership with the Port St Johns Local Municipality will take place in Port St Johns in the Eastern Cape on Friday 14 March 2014.

The NIBUS seeks to uplift informal businesses within the informal economy and render support to local chambers, local business associations, municipalities and Local Economic Development offices to deliver and to facilitate access to upliftment programmes.

Minister Rob Davies says the focus of the NIBUS will be targeted at designated groups like women, youth and people with disabilities who are mainly based in the townships and rural areas of South Africa.

“This strategy advances government priorities of speeding up economic growth and transforming the economy to create decent jobs and sustainable livelihoods through inclusive growth,” he adds.

Minister Davies will at the same event, also launch the Informal Traders Upliftment Project (ITUP) which is an instrument within the NIBUS.

The ITUP, which aims to develop the capacity of informal traders or retailers, is a partnership between the dti and the Wholesale and Retail (W&R) SETA. It developed in order to increase the competitiveness of local traders and develop decent jobs within the sector.