Shinyanga — AUTHORITIES in Shinyanga have compiled a database for hawkers (Machinga), enabling the region to establish the number of hawkers it has for proper planning on marketplaces for their goods.
The database, which was launched in Kahama District over the weekend, is part of the region's efforts in creating good environment for them to conduct businesses.
Shinyanga Regional Commissioner Christine Mndeme said the database will store information of hawkers, something which would simplify an exercise of allocating areas for them to conduct their activities without interferences.
"The government in collaboration with Tiva Insurance Company carried out a study on how to get hawkers information and feed them into the database, something which help us to make decisions on the allocation and construction of markets for them, involve them in health insurance and other development activities," she said.
She admitted that previously they had no idea over the number of petty traders, but the newly introduced database would now help the region to reach them, including building friendly infrastructure for them to conduct their businesses.
The Regional Commissioner further assured that the government will continue collaborating with the private sector in order to stimulate economic activities in urban and rural areas, hence boosting the country's economic growth.
The Regional Commissioner used the occasion to ask residents to ignore the misleading statements from some people over planned investments in the country's ports.
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She said such misleading statements had evil l intention of demoralizing President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan from thinking on how best to chart out strategies that could spur the country's economic growth.
'The government cooperates with various stakeholders, including the private sector players to bring development," he argued.
On his part, Tiva's Director of Financial Services and Marketing, Mr Mark Irunde, said the company did a study and established that several groups were not yet reached for health insurance coverage because of lack of database.
"We have started this initiative with the hawkers. We have prepared the database for them in partnership with telecommunication companies so as to obtain their information easily," Mr Irunde explained.
Remarking, Chairperson of hawkers' associations' federation (SHIUMA), Mr Ernest Masaju, stressed the importance of having a database to simplify provision of services to petty traders, including simplifying engagements with them.
