Chronicle Editor
Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief
GOVERNMENT has started disbursing Covid-19 cushioning funds meant to benefit an initial 600 small to medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Midlands Province.
Treasury has availed $500 million to cushion SMEs affected by Covid-19 to help them recapitalise and survive the disruption.
In a recent interview, the Minister of Women Affairs, Community and Small to Medium Enterprise Development, Sithembiso Nyoni, said the cushioning funds were ready for disbursement.
“This programme (disbursement of cushioning funds) is moving and it is being administered by the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare and so far it is going on very well. I am glad to announce that in the Midlands, the initial 600 people are going to be benefitting. The money is already there in the Midlands province and is ready to be disbursed to those that were registered,” she said.
“The cushion fund is being administered by the Ministry of Public Service and Social Welfare, and they have their own criteria on who is vulnerable. What we did was to say to the affected vendors, give us what you lost and we submitted those names to the Ministry of Public Service and Social Welfare who have their own criteria and they have started disbursing funds to some of the vendors.
“I’m happy women are working and not sitting back and are really working hard while the Government is also busy disbursing funds to them for their different projects, which they are embarking on while at home.”
Minister Nyoni said her ministry has also disbursed $1.5 million to women groups in the Midlands province under the Community Development Fund (CDF).
She called on women groups to come up with vibrant projects that make them qualify for funding. Minister Nyoni said the fund, which has been in existence since 2010, has played a significant part in empowering and improving the livelihoods of women and their families.
“Apart from the cushioning fund, I’m happy to say the Midlands province is very active, you are an active province, so far up to date we have 10 groups that we have funded through the Community Development Fund. Each group is getting about $150 000 and a total of $1,5 million has been disbursed to Midlands groups,” she said.
The beneficiary groups, she said, are drawn from Chirumhanzu, Kwekwe, Zvishavane, Gweru, Shurugwi, Gokwe North and South.
“So, we want to say Midlands province, you are not just waiting for cushioning fund but busy developing your projects, which is really what our President is encouraging, that we should not take Covid-19 as a curse but as also as an opportunity. I am glad to note that Midlands has taken this opportunity to realize other business opportunities,” said Minister Nyoni.
She said there was another platform for funding projects called the Women Development Fund, which has seen five groups benefiting from a total of $750 000.
“These groups, which are separate from the CDF are in Chirumhanzu, Shurugwi and Zvishavane. We want to encourage women, cushion fund yes, but let’s take this as an opportunity, work from home, do something but work from home, gardening, sowing, goats, chickens, let’s be positive and be doing something so that when Covid -19 is over it finds you on your feet and entering the market. We must be doing something to support the economy,” said Minister Nyoni.
Online Reporter