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Parliament, Wednesday, 1 November 2023 – A delegation of the Portfolio Committee on Small Business Development has successfully concluded the Free State leg of public hearings on the National Small Enterprise Amendment Bill. The delegation conducted its last hearings in the Fezile Dabi District Municipality in Parys, where the Bill received overwhelmingly support from residents.
Residents attending the hearings spoke about various issues affecting them, including the growing number of tuckshops in the area owned by foreign nationals. They called for the Bill to make provision for regulating these shops. They also claimed that the law is lenient to foreign nationals, who they said dominate the tuckshop economy in African communities, do not pay tax and sell alcohol without a licence.
Residents attending the public hearings also reported that they have problems accessing funding for small businesses, particularly for women-owned companies. They appealed for the Bill to make provision for women-owned small, medium and micro enterprises, saying that men’s businesses thrive while women do not receive the support they need. They also highlighted their lack of access to farming land and business premises as a barrier to the expansion of their businesses in the area.
Outlining the purpose of the public hearings and the Bill, the leader of the delegation, Mr Faiez Jacobs, told participants that the Bill seeks, among other things, to integrate the Small Enterprise Development Agency, the Co-operative Banks Development Agency and the Small Enterprise Financing Agency into the Small Enterprise Development Finance Agency.
He said the merger will create a one-stop shop for all services to ensure small businesses receive full support. The Bill also sets out to establish a Small Business Enterprise Ombudsman service. “The Ombud will be a champion for small businesses, ensuring fair trade practices and the rights to transact freely,” he said.
Mr Jacobs called on the residents to express their views on the Bill and said they are free to support or reject it. “It is important that we listen to your inputs and your concerns as well as your challenges on what it is that we need to do differently for small business development, as part of strengthening this Bill. Parliament is a Parliament of the people and by the people, so we are obliged to ensure that there is full public involvement in the work of Parliament,” he added.
Mr Jacobs then thanked the residents for their participation. “As the committee we appreciate that you came out in numbers to participate in this law-making process, which is one of the key mandates of Parliament.”
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE LEADER OF DELEGATION OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, MR FAIEZ JACOBS.
For media enquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, please contact:
Name: Malentsoe Magwagwa (Ms)
Cell: 081 7165824
E-mail: mmagwagwa@parliament.gov.za
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