The City of Cape Town, under the governance of the Democratic Alliance (DA), now ranks first in two Ease of Doing Business indicators. The City is clearly committed to SMME development. Their strategy is to concentrate on the Ease of Doing Business principles used by the World Bank to measure the government’s commitment to a business-friendly environment.
The Ease of Doing Business programme of the City aims to:
- Address regulatory burdens and unnecessary by-laws;
- Promote a simplifying permit and licensing procedure;
- Improve the turnaround time relating to the issuing of construction permits;
- Minimise the cost of doing business in the City;
- Enhance engagement with the private sector to enhance public-private trust; and
- Ensure sustainable service delivery.
The result of this strategy is that Cape Town is a sought-after destination for investors to invest in small businesses that create fertile ground for job creation.
The DA will table a motion in Parliament that seeks an opportunity to debate the City of Cape Town’s success with regards to their pro-growth, pro-jobs, and anti-poor initiatives, and to roll them out with the same success to the rest of the country.
Small businesses’ success must be the number one priority of government to secure the economic survival for South Africa. Unfortunately, the ANC governments at all levels across the country are failing the Ease of Doing Business test.
Ill-considered and detrimental municipal by-laws make it very difficult for entrepreneurs to do business and create much-needed job opportunities.
To create a business-friendly environment on the local level, municipalities need to embark on Ease of Doing Business legislative campaigns aimed at removing all barriers that hinder SMME development in their jurisdiction.
Small businesses are critical drivers of economic growth, innovation, and job creation, but they require local municipalities to concentrate on enhancing the environment for entrepreneurial activities.
Government must use its powers and functions to free small businesses from the clutches of red tape.
Local Government Elections are coming up in 2021! Visit check.da.org.za to check your voter registration status