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$150 trillion injected into people's shops
Jeffrey Gogo, The Herald (Zimbabwe)
May 30, 2008

http://allafrica.com/stories/200805300098.html

Government has released $150 trillion for the establishment of People's Shops targeted at low-income earners.

The Small Enterprises Development Corporation, a non-autonomous body that champions SME financing, received the money this week. Sedco spokesperson Mr Billet Magara said the concept would involve the setting up of one-stop shops stocked with goods made by SMEs, mostly food and other varieties.

Government hopes that the people-centred stores will help bridge the yawning gap between need and affordability amongst Zimbabwe's poor. For most low-tier workers, basic foodstuffs such as maize-meal, cooking oil, sugar are now out of reach due to high inflation, estimated at 165 000 percent at the end of February. Mr Magara said: "The People's Shops concept is ideal for our current economic circumstances in that it puts on the platform those goods the market thought were not easily available. "Instead of customers hopping from one shop to another all over town and country looking for specific products, this venture allows customers to find what they want under one roof.

"It is a one-stop shop idea that will see SME products receiving more customer attention and the SMEs themselves achieving higher profit margins." The People's Shops concept was mooted in January this year, as an urgent strategy to assist the poor access food at affordable rates. Sedco says it conceived the idea of People's Shops a long time ago, but had been stalled by lack of investment capital. Mr Magara explained that Sedco was now calling on individuals or groups with access to shop space to present project proposals on the People's Shop venture. Sedco has offices in Bindura, Bulawayo, Gweru, Harare, Masvingo and Mutare but also has representatives on the ground in most rural growth centres. It is expected that the People's Shops will not be confined to urban centres alone but will be established in peri-urban and rural areas as well.

Furniture, ploughs, harrows, scotch carts, mealie-meal, cooking oil, soap, peanut butter, stone and wood art, batiks, protective and domestic clothing, uniforms, footwear, dried foods and fruits and beverages, are among the products to be stocked.

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