06 Feb 2020

Parliament has been informed that the informal sector is in nature highly mobile, hence being cumbersome to readily avail statistics except through a survey.

The Assistant Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, Mr Karabo Gare, told Parliament on February 5 that small scale caterers and vendors in their desire to maximize profit tended to move around. He said his ministry had consulted several government departments and independent institutions and confirmed that there were small scale caterers and vendors around their premises.

Mr Gare said most of the vendors operated in open spaces around government offices to broaden their clientele and that there were those who sold at specific times such as tea break and lunch time.

He was responding to MP for Sefhare/Ramokgonami, Dr Kesetegile Gobotswang had asked the minister to give an update on implementation of the Presidential Directive to support small scale caterers and vendors and to state the number of those who had utilised the dispensation, those who dropped as well as those who were still operating in government offices.