BY LAKACHEW ATNAFU
Ethiopia is aspiring to achieve out stretched goal and set growth and transformation plan to up line the country among middle income status by 2025. The government envisages the creation of job and opportunity innovation of ideas that could absorb the teeming unemployed youth.
In due course, years have gone since the establishment of institutions mandated to boost and diversify job opportunities that could absorb the ever increasing unemployment. The manufacturing sector was beloved to have been the strategic component to transform the country towards industrialization its performance however remains in question compared to the service and construction sector. The Federal Urban Job Creation and Food Security Agency is one of mandated government institution that facilitates the delivery of clear, fast and effective services for job seekers and the enterprises. The Agency has established a one-stop service centers in all states across the country.
Over the years the micro and small scale enterprise institutions have been striving to employ lots of urban citizens. On the other hand the youth in Addis Ababa are observed to earn their living doing business on their own accord.
The sky rocketed price and limitation coupled with the land policy of the country forced the amassed people to engage in alternative business on streets which raise questions as to how such business could be legitimate regarding tax payments and road safety.
The Addis Ababa City Administration ratified regulation number 54/2005 where as it has been found necessary to regulate code violations frequently observed in the areas of land, trade, road, waste management, among others illegalities against Normal business and the image of the capital.
Precisely, as there are no enabling environment and others circumstances to do business, acquisition of land, being licensed many opt to engage in job wandering streets as vendors, informal lottery drawers and supplying food, Geffen goods and other facilities at affordable price for the needy and earn their lives unlike those who engage in crime like that of theft, robbery and immoral endeavors under the shade of darkness.
No matter how law is violated, business that are being done on streets are far beyond better than that of crimes which threatens security of the nation seldom claiming the lives of victims.
Street vending and trade at streets on one hand employs significant number of the people and deliver alternative supplies for nation with different social strata.
The paradox comes as one raise sets of questions to compromise enforcement of codes and creation of jobs. The self employee small scale business men are preys of the Addis Ababa Code Enforcement Bureau there of the so called offenders are prone to recurrent penalties and confiscation of properties.
The executions of the regulation by excessive right of immature officers and the mandate of social courts for the enforcement appeared to be sources of grievances and that lots are lamenting.
It is true that the state might not secure taxes from such businesses and dwellers might also pose substantial threatens on road safety and legal business. It is also true that many are employed and the poor are able to achieve their living at a cost they afford.
Most of all the street business provides the public with facilities not only with affordable price at the concurrent scene where the cost of living is getting tougher and tougher, but also eases time and transportation expenses.
The need to examine, revise legal framework of regulation and devising sound strategy which enable nations to do legal business such as affording facilities and licensing operators outweigh penalties impose on them. It is also of paramount importance to foresee what would happen if such informal dwellers remain unemployed in a country that hardly afford places and lands to formally engage in legal business.
As the same, time might it also to reach value judgment to label street business as offensive to such vigor in a country where begging is considered and recognized as an abash business.
A layer and legal expert claim that legislation of rules irrespective of context, dynamics and fundamental changes of circumstances may only serve for a while and will inevitably nullified as the objective reality doesn’t permit.
While speaking to The Ethiopian Herald, Addisu Algaw, Lawyer and Legal Advisor, stated that the fundamental objective of emanating laws is the failure of humanity to be abided and adhere to intrinsic moral values and norms.
It is not to serve the rich and to punish the poor; however the naked truth in the Ethiopian context mainly based to enhance the modern figure of the country upon the advanced world with no or little effort of considering impacts it may ushered.
Truly speaking, Addis Ababa is a diplomatic city which demands the ban of street trade as it mess up image building on one hand and such practices pose hindrance to the custom authorities to collect taxes.
Nonetheless, a mere criminalization and setting penalties against offenders might not solve the complication it rather add sorts of complication to job creation and self employment in the country where unemployment rate increasing from time to time and tempting existence.
As to him, authorities need to investigate the creation of enabling environment that absorb the teeming unemployment and affording facilities, launching systems that grunt operators to engage in legal business.
The procedure of enforcing the regulation and excessive rights of officers, along with inadequate prerequisite knowledge regarding law might also force these self-employees to engage in grave crimes and more dangerous business.
Reinforcing legal business no doubt is of significance value for the country and citizenry as one can see from different parameters. The practice shrink the volume of revenue supposed to be collected and demotivate the legitimate business, goods and services might also be unsafe and below standard.
To be considered as an offender is also a moral crises for the street business men as the practitioners are always run like a fugitive to hide from the site of code enforcement officers.
Hence, states men are urged most of all to avail enabling environment and devise sound system and investigate factors that force workers engage in such business, otherwise the goal to overcome unemployment, human trafficking and other socio economic and psycho crisis would remain to be figment of imagination, he opined.
The Ethiopian Herald July 3/2021
