Feroz Beegum (Small Traders Association): "Making Farquhar Street A Pedestrian Road"

" If we can not operate in the capital, yet we pay a license to the town hall, where do we work ? "Is he asked , adding that vendors are willing to pay for parking use.Feroz Beegum , president of the Small Traders Association (STA ) , spoke on the issue of hawkers of Farquhar Street, Port - Louis, who claim that their workplace is declared " pedestrian route " from 10 am to 16/17h .
According to him, there was a " letting go " in the past on the part of the authorities, both political and municipal . "Before, there were not as many vendors .
Now they are here , pa kapav push zot , " he says. He estimated that the state recognizes these as street vendors. "It makes us therefore pay a permit to work in Port -Louis . But we are forbidden to work near the central market , where there is a great movement , to send us to places where there is none. Zot pe rod Touy new , "he said. Mr. Beegum , who has worked for over 20 years in the street believes that the city of Port- Louis " pa oule puts Lord , nek li dir out ale ."Speaking of the life of a traveling salesman , the President of the STA says it is not easy to do this job .
" It works towards the end of the month, when people have a little more money, but the rest of the time is extremely difficult. We get to make a living , but not anymore. And I do not mean the authorities who harass us every day , " he says . Previously, Mr. Beegum had his own small business, which manufactured shorts and other clothing. "I even recorded a brand named Kales Kase . But it was not because of foreign competition market. Otherwise, I would not go down the street, where I have to sell glasses from China to earn my bread , " he says .
Commenting on the situation of SMEs in Mauritius face foreign competition , he believes that the government should support local producers in terms of financial facilities as well as exemption from import duties on raw materials. "In addition, we need more taxing foreign products , including Chinese , and to allow local businesses to survive. Chinese products are indeed very cheap , "concludes our interlocutor.