Document: SALGA Free State Informal Trade Summit

A two-day Informal Trade Summit, organised by South African Local Government Association (SALGA) Free State, Free State Department of Cooperative Governance & Traditional Affairs and the Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs in Free State, took place from on 13 and 14 October 2011 in Bloemfontein.

The Summit created an important platform for sharing of best practices across different municipalities. It also provided an opportunity for municipalities to benchmark with other better experienced practitioners on the management of the informal economy. The intricate issue of foreign traders versus local traders was also fully debated. It was found to be multi-faceted and that a lot of work still needs to be on this issue.

A generic informal trade policy document was discussed and municipalities were urged to use this as a reference when they were developing their policies. Municipalities were also encouraged to improve their communication with informal traders in their localities. The tendency to criminalize informal trade was severely discouraged. Informal traders were also urged to organise themselves so as to communicate better with relevant authorities. 

Please find all presentations attached.