09 June 2020
Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association (BVTA) would like to acknowledge some progress in ensuring that vendors and informal traders receive the cushioning fund and inform its partners and stakeholders that after a protracted and frustrating advocacy, on the need for the government to expedite the COVID-19 induced informal sector cushioning fund, the organization has finally received an approved list of its members that have been included in the consented list to benefit in the fund.
The fund will be disbursed through the One Money mobile money facility, although it is on public record that the association and others like Vendors Initiative for Socio and Economic Transformation (VISET) had vehemently opposed the use of One Money mobile transfer facility, arguing that it will short change those who use other mobile transfer agents. In its response, the government decided to issue out One Money Sim Cards to each beneficiary.
BVTA members are currently going in batches of 200 to collect Sim Cards. BVTA and other associations have held meetings to discuss modalities to ensure that informal traders immediately get access to the sim cards. They started receiving their sim cards from Monday, the process is ongoing. Out of the names that were submitted to the Ministry of Women, Small and Medium Enterprises and Community Development, 75% were included. Bulawayo associations sent approximately 18000 names and 12000 names were approved to benefit in the cushioning fund.
However, BVTA is concerned that some informal traders did not make it into the final approved list of beneficiaries. The organization calls upon the government to run a second call for submission of names in order to cushion those who did not make it to the current approved list of beneficiaries because these are also bonafide vendors and informal traders, who are equally affected by the COVID-19 lockdown.
Issued by BVTA Information and Publicity Unit