JOHN DLUDLU: New law could hobble SMEs even more
The National Small Enterprise Amendment Bill needs to be interrogated for the effects it will have on small businesses
In December, the department of small business development released the National Small Enterprise Amendment Bill for public comment. A serious rethink is required, especially chapter 3A, which establishes a small enterprise ombudsman service and grants far-reaching powers to the minister of small business development to determine and prohibit “unfair trading practices”.
Regrettably, instead of being a piece of legislation designed to answer the question “How can we help you?” — particularly in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown regulations, which have smacked the small segment of SA’s business sector — the proposed amendments create a new layer of bureaucracy by establishing an ombudsman with no supporting business case behind it. ..
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