Township businesses may require special provision on municipal rates and service charges
Gauteng MEC for Economic Development, Environment, Agriculture and Rural Development, Lebogang Maile, convened a meeting with township shopkeepers in Tembisa on Monday 24 August 2015.
The meeting was convened to discuss a dispute between the Ekurhuleni municipality and township shop owners over municipal rates and service charges.
Many township businesses cite the cost of municipal services and billing challenges as obstacles to running profitable enterprises in townships.
“During our township economy revitalisation roadshows, municipal rates and service charges were identified as contentious issues by township entrepreneurs. This was raised in almost all the road-shows that we convened which clearly means that it is a pervasive issue that affects businesses across different townships” said Maile.
Maile expressed intentions to take the matter up with municipalities in Gauteng.
“We will be engaging municipalities on this problem. We want to encourage township businesses to operate within the law and pay municipal rates and service charges. At the same time, it is important that special consideration be made when dealing with township businesses as these have unique needs and challenges” he said.
In the meantime, affected business people in Tembisa will convene on Friday 28 August 2015 at the Tembisa Council Chamber where municipal officials will scrutinise accounts to determine arrears and ponder possible solutions for the debt incurred.
The consultations and ongoing interventions to resolve specific issues facing township businesses are part of Gauteng government’s implementation of the Township Economy Revitalisation Strategy, which highlighted the cost of doing business and access to economic infrastructure like water and electricity amongst the biggest challenges facing township businesses.
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