The platform can be accessed here: https://www.da.org.za/campaigns/pay-us-on-time
Today, Monday 13 July, the Democratic Alliance (DA) is launching the DA’s platform to assist small businesses who are frustrated due to late payment by government for services rendered.
Small businesses are the heroes of job creation in South Africa. Everything possible should be done to ensure they survive and thrive. Yet, as if government’s stifling regulatory regime and its extended lockdown have not already killed many and brought thousands more to their knees, government is also notorious for making them wait much longer than the agreed 30 days for payment.
The DA’s platform provides for small businesses to submit details of overdue invoices. DA Shadow Deputy Minister of Small Business Development, Henro Kruger MP, will deal with each and every submission, taking the fight where necessary, whether to the Small Business Ministry, government departments, portfolio committees, or to his colleagues in the shadow cabinet.
In South Africa, it tends to be the “little guy” who bears the heaviest brunt of government failure – those least able to stand up for themselves. In failing to pay on time, government departments put not just the survival of small business service providers at risk, but also the livelihoods of the millions of people they employ and the wellbeing of their families.
Late payment of small businesses is simply unacceptable, even more so when most small businesses are in such a precarious position. At over 10 million jobless people, unemployment was already sky-high before the government imposed an extended lockdown. Millions more have now lost their jobs or risk losing their jobs. Only a government that does not care about the “little guy” or appreciate the challenges of running small businesses would pay invoices late, amidst this social devastation.
The DA recognises the central importance of small businesses to our economy and society and we are keen to do whatever we can to help them survive and thrive. We invite all South Africa’s small businesses to make use of this free service and undertake to do our best to resolve their late payment problems.
Click here to contribute to the DA’s legal action challenging irrational and dangerous elements of the hard lockdown in court