GWERU City Council has been urged to prioritise infrastructural development for the informal sector to boost the local economy.
Speaking in Gweru on Friday at a pre-budget sensitisation meeting jointly held by Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (Viset) and Gweru Residents and Ratepayers Association (GRRA), Viset director Samuel Wadzai said there was need for council to account for money collected from vendors to boost economic growth of the sector and city.
“A look at Gweru City Council's 2025 budget proposal shows nothing much for informal traders,” Wadzai said.
“As Viset we have always engaged local authorities to expedite the process of formalisation of the informal sector.
“That formalisation also has to do with infrastructure development. You cannot develop infrastructure if you do not budget for it and so we are saying the budget should reflect on issues of infrastructure development for the informal sector.”
Wadzai said council should adhere to best practices in public finance management so that funds collected from vendors and market stalls are used transparently for the development of the city's economy.
GRRA director Cornilia Selipiwe weighed in saying that the Midlands capital was largely an informal economy hence the need to ensure adequate facilities for the sector.
"Councillors should not neglect those who elected them into office and they need to understand that by and large Gweru's economy is largely informal. There is therefore need to make sure people have viable vending stalls,"he said.
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Meanwhile women who attended the meeting said council was neglecting the health sector as it was failing to build more clinics and in particular maternity health facilities.
“In Mkoba we only have one polyclinic which offers maternity services,” Women's Coalition of Zimbabwe Gweru chapter chairperson Merjury Makunere said.
“Moreover that polyclinic has no adequate facilities yet in the proposed budgeted we don't see this critical sector addressed.”
Makunere said instead council was proposing to hike medical consultation fees to US$10 from $5 and US$2 to US$8 for adults and children between 6 and 14 years respectively.
