Thursday, March 28, 2024

Building Chain Stores in Compounds destroys local and family business-Inonge Wina

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Vice President Inonge Wina has urged the Chain Stores not to entrench themselves in high-density areas such as compounds as they expand their businesses.

Mrs Wina says doing so destroys the livelihoods of marketeers and local grocery stores, family business and enterprising Zambians who cannot compete with chain stores.

She said that supermarkets should be aware that extending their businesses into compounds may result in the collapse of small businesses and loss livelihoods among marketeers and traders.

Mrs Wina said such situation is against the Patriotic Front’s government’s pro-poor social and economic development agenda as outlined in the PF Manifesto and the Seventh National development plan.

Mrs Wina has since directed the Ministry of Local government and the Ministry of Commerce to guide and work closely with local authorities so that the appropriate level of planning and business development is attained without sacrificing marketers and traders in high-density areas and compounds.

She further stated that this directive does not take away the recognition of foreign chain stores as an important source of diverse products, a marketer for local producers and a source of employment for many Zambians.

Mrs Wina says in order to ensure unique profitable and sustainable local businesses she has also tasked marketers to attract customers by ensuring that their environments and practices adhere stipulated laws, regulations and hygiene requirements at all times.

This is according to a statement issued by Permanent Secretary for Administration in the Office of the Vice President Stephen Mwansa.

26 COMMENTS

    • @ Danielle

      If you can not appreciate anything at all, next time you will calling your own parents the same way! Charity begins at home but should not end there.

  1. Madam Inonge.

    Thanks a lot madam for speaking for the marketeers who are trading in compounds. We have seen it here in the copper belt where the Chinese business men are trading in compounds and killing business for the local people which is very bad indeed.
    Regards,
    B Mwaba

  2. Valid point, madam VP. Although our markets require a different approach. The current set up is outdated. Markets can be turned into small hives of skills and cottage industries where they offer manufactured goods and services to the public, not trading all the time.

  3. “…she has also tasked marketers to attract customers by ensuring that their environments and practices adhere stipulated laws, regulations and hygiene requirements at all times…..”

    Yes true , but we also can see how dirty our surroundings are , we also note that 99% of people in markets and streets have been to primary school…….it makes sense to introduce an environmental awareness subject teaching hygiene, conservation and patriotism in primary schools, by the time the current primary school leavers are on the streets or markets , you will notice an major improvement in cleanliness

  4. The VP has a point; however, such matters must be government policy that is clear-cut. The issue with our country is that there are so many grey areas in policy that contribute to corruption and being taken advantage of by other countries. Why would you allow for instance foreign nationals to compete with people in the compounds? The solution to Zambian issues is to have a government that will plan in such a way that no jim an jack will simply build anywhere they find space. Zambia has borrowed so much money from China that they can bend to anything. China and other countries Love the grey areas. What intrigues me is that Zambia is so rich with natural resources compared to other western countries who have nothing and yet we go begging for the greenback (worthless pieces of paper). For…

  5. Cont… For instance, why would the London Metal Exchange set the copper prices when they dont even produce copper? Zambia needs a strong government that will push for a level playing field in the world by galvanising African leaders for instance to set natural resource Prices in AFRICA. The west has really taken advantage of Africa and only Strong leadership will change that. I have liked some recent comments by ECL about the west, but more practical steps are needed and I can’t decipher the motive behind those recent comments by the president.

  6. It is too late. They chain stores are already there in lusaka coupled with the chinese shops. The Pa Manda, Kamunga and such other family shops have already died.

  7. The winners of the Chain stores are the builders.Being in the compounds does not mean you are making a profit.Give the so called shopping malls two years and street kids will have free accommodation.

  8. But madam VP you are the regulators or the government of the day. Could it be that you are asking the opposition to do something about the situation of Shoprite taking our our compounds?

  9. We are in trouble the ones in power are the ones crying about this, what more the affected. The government of the day is powerless begging the big businesses when they should be controlling the situation. These people are clueless just like unzalu said only 1diots would think like her.

  10. So you want your own Zambians just to be marketeers in the compounds.What about the 5 million jobs ECL promised?
    The PF have really reduced the dignity of Zambians.

  11. she’s not saying anything, and that’s the problem with p f and the Zambian people don’t take them to task.
    we’ve told them many many times that the shopping centers coming up all over the place (you call them malls) ain’t doing an ordinary Zambian anything good. there’s no regulation, the open up these stores and they bring eggs from sa… and the only jobs Zambians get is cashers and security guards when the govt. can easily tell these franchises that if they want to set up shop in Zambia, 50% top management has to be Zambian as well as 50% shelves have to be stocked with Zambian products/produce
    not you’re there opening your mouth with double talk when you ain’t saying nothing if you care about the compounds and the Zambians in those ears stand firm and say what I just…

  12. This is strange from the VP comment .. who do you think approves and give licenses its you GRZ! Government city planners….. This has nothing to do with shopping centres.

  13. Can u imagine: we have even started selling land which belongs to health institutions. Can u imagine that there is Shoprite at Kabwata market and is sharing boundary with Kabwata clinic! Whatever mental disease we Zambians are suffering from is big and acute and will take time to eradicate it. We have killed our own traders at the market and have made it difficult for the clinic to expand in the future. Shame.

  14. It is not the most intellectual of the species that survives; it is not the strongest that survives; but the species that survives is the one that is able to adapt to and to adjust best to the changing environment in which it finds itself……so says Charles Darwin in his “Origin of Species.”

    there need for komboni business to adapt to the current changes, its not business as usual, have seen small scale canteen business advertise their products through facebook, twitter and give whatsaap lines,and are ready to supply breakfast, lunch even supper just at the touch of button, they know if they wait for customers, the customers will automatically go for cheap fast foods in shopping malls.

  15. Just woken up or something? Where has she been all the while when what she is now talking about has been happening right under her watch! I think PF operates under a confused policy with the “More money in your pockets” slogan hardly understood by the party’s self confessed “vision void” leadership. Maybe being pro poor means “proponents of support to being poor!”

  16. Are we cursed or what?How many people have complained about malls mushrooming every where?So today this woman is also complaining?I wonder what goes on in cabinet,it must be a circus…

  17. This is the time you should start building factories in the some compound so that people can have steady jobs so they can contribute to the GDP , the so-called makerts with drums off water in toilets appears as though we don’t Have Engeerins in shot the are death trap for breeding corera ,buy them machines for making products to supply the some stores and for export

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