Posted on August, 14, 2018 at 10:23 am
ABELA MSIKULA
DAR ES SALAAM-based small-scale women traders have urged the government to set special areas in every municipality and let them exhibit their goods for at least twice a week, for sustainability of the markets and encourage the public to buy local products.
They were speaking at the weekend in the city during the entrepreneurs’ workshop, organised by the Community Service Tanzania (CST) aimed at among others, promoting economic integration in the informal sector.
The workshop was part of the implementation of CST one year pilot project (from December last year) over empowering women vendors to demand their rights and engage key actors for better services and conducive business environment in the city’s Ubungo Municipality. It is sponsored by African Women’s Development Fund, for 20,000 US dollars.
A workshop participant, Ms Stella Kabelege whose business is to make liquid soaps said they have already benefited from entrepreneurship trainings on how to improve their businesses but they lacked reliable markets.
“We produce and consume by ourselves as one used walking door-to-door in search of consumers.
It is very limited business indeed. We need open and permanent markets. We have quality and quantity products to meet the public’s demands and requirements.”
Questioned on why they do not grab market opportunities in the newly introduced weekly exhibitions by the Tanzania Trade Development Authority (Tantrade) at Mwalimu Nyerere Trade Fair (Saba saba) grounds in the city’s Temeke Municipality, Ms Kabelege responded that they could not afford trading charges and other costs involved because they have low capital.
On behalf of her colleagues, she proposed Kimara area as proper exhibition destination, as it was the centre for all traders, and they used gathering there for various discussions.
Commenting on what has been done to support small scale traders in Ubungo, the Municipality’s Community Development Officer, Ms Anita Makota said that a total of 3,399 groups of female and youth traders were already connected to CRDB Bank and will receive soft loans in the nearest future after they attained special training on savings and expenditure.
The groups were composed of 2,023 female and 1,376 youths while the Municipal continued registering more groups, she said, stressing that registration was free of charge.
CST Technical Advisor, Mr Mgwabi Mwambi told participants that, upon completion of the project (November this year); it was expected that a total of 800 female street vendors in Ubungo will be trained and act on the Council’s by-laws which govern street vending business, access community based financial and legal aid services, effectively participate in the leadership within business locations as well as challenging all forms of abuse.
Source: Daily News