LETTER: Ramaphosa has known why small business is struggling for a long time
President Cyril Ramaphosa has done nothing to assist small business in releasing them from the heavy yoke of regulations
It is all very well for our president to express regret but unfortunately the expression is hollow (“Ramaphosa regrets the slow pace of reform,” November 12). The president is fully aware and has been advised on many occasions, that small business is the engine room for job creation in future.
He is also aware that the harsh regulatory environment placed on small business acts as a handbrake to job creation.
This being the case, Ramaphosa has done nothing to assist small business in releasing them from the heavy yoke of regulations. A simple exercise would be to expunge sections 25 and 26 of the Labour Relations Act. These both extend agreements made by big business and big trade unions to small businesses.
In essence, today the spaza shop is bound by the same regulatory environment as Pick n Pay. This is clearly extremely negative for the entire business community.
Michael Bagraim
DA deputy labour and employment spokesperson
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