DA wants Patel to justify level 4 lockdown e-commerce restrictions
The Democratic Alliance (DA) said on Monday it was seeking justification from Trade and Industry minister Ebrahim Patel on restrictions to South Africa's e-commerce industry during the country's eased level 4 Covid-19 lockdown.
The official opposition's shadow minister for the same portfolio, MP Dean Macpherson, said the party had written to the portfolio committee for trade, industry and competition, Duma Nkosi, to ask that Patel be invited to justify the restriction.
"During the hard lockdown, we were told by the minister that e-commerce could not be allowed because it would be 'unfair' to spaza shops as they were closed. This turned out not to be true," said Macpherson, adding that the minister had provided no "logical rationale" for the restrictions.
"Instead, we were told by the minister during a parliamentary committee meeting on Friday that 'directions may permit the incremental expansion of e-commerce, taking into account the need to limit the extent of movement on the road, contact between people, law-enforcement challenges and the impact on other businesses".
It was critical that Patel took South Africa into his confidence and detailed what the "directions" were and when they would be issued, said Macpherson.
"The continued rejection of unfettered e-commerce is simply unsustainable and without reason. Further to this, South Africa is a real outlier when compared to other countries that are relying on e-commerce to get goods to consumers in a safe way to reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission.
"It is time that we start walking the talk when it comes to the fourth industrial revolution and embrace e-commerce. Parliament has made much of this new revolution and now is a perfect opportunity to use its oversight powers to compel the minister to justify his views and demand a way forward."
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