Gamarra’s entrepreneurs are facing a difficult time due to the reduction in their sales and the ravages of the crisis caused by COVID-19. The president of Fedegama, Edward Raymundo, analyzes the situation and points out that very few businesses accessed the Reactiva credit program.
-What is the current situation of Gamarra?
-After the pandemic, we have recovered a little, but now due to the same situation, this year sales have dropped a lot, also because we do not have the good work of our mayor either. He does not work, he only dedicates himself to legally extorting them, collecting money and sending inspectors to impose sanctions on us that are from a UIT.
-What have been your main problems in recovering?
-One is the municipal issue. There is no political will to work well. What’s more, he is fighting with 85% of the micro and small Gamarrino entrepreneurs. Another drawback is the issue of Sunat. The formal ones are notified, they question us, they seize us. However, no one visits the street vendor, who perhaps moves more money than us, no one says anything to him. That for us is unfair competition.
-How does it affect outpatient commerce?
-Through quota collection. They have money to pay the extortionists because they protect them, but they also have money to buy smuggled products, for example, from China. And for us that is unfair competition.
-After two years of the pandemic, what level of recovery are you at?
-In the pandemic we have lost 35% of our micro and small entrepreneurs. Gamarra’s recovery has been 20%, but it is not enough because we also have mortgages and bank loans like Reactiva.
-Along those lines, how many Gamarrinos managed to access Reactiva Perú?
-In Gamarra we are an average of 32,000 formal micro and small entrepreneurs. The Reactiva has not even reached 1%. About 20 Gamarrinos will have received (the credit).
-What is the reason for this low figure?
-Simply because the big banks have given this product to big companies. We real entrepreneurs have not received anything.
-In this scenario, what are your expectations of the new Minister of Production?
-We don’t have any higher expectations because it’s not going to be any good for us. The minister for us is just another secretary like the previous ministers have been. They have no decision-making power and they don’t really have power either. They only come to Gamarra when there are marches and when they come to seek votes.
-What policies should be prioritized to improve the situation of microentrepreneurs?
-What we ask of the competent authorities is simply that there is equality of competition. The street vendors are the ones who generate unfair competition for us. And from that point of view, for example, we have to produce more. The Government does not have special treatment. We are asking that Gamarra have special treatment like Tacna had, like Tumbes has.
-What would that imply?
-That we have special treatment on the issue of VAT. We don’t want anything as a gift. The only thing we want is for them not to kill the cradle of entrepreneurs. We need to be exempt from certain taxes for at least 10 years.
-What are your expectations at the end of the year?
-The Christmas campaign will depend a lot on security. We will not achieve pre-pandemic levels.
Source: Larepublica
Alia is a professional author and journalist, working at 247 news agency. She writes on various topics from economy news to general interest pieces, providing readers with relevant and informative content. With years of experience, she brings a unique perspective and in-depth analysis to her work.
