admin
In an interview, Small and Medium Enterprises and Co-operative Development Minister Sithembiso Nyoni said she was going to create an advisory council which will be responsible for finding out problems facing SMEs and come up with solutions.
“We are going to create an advisory council which must identify problems and advise on solutions that can be provided.
“This Bill also empowers the minister to set up schemes of benefit to SMEs and the first scheme we have done so far is setting of the finance scheme for SMEs,” she said.
She said the Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with South Africa to set up a development fund with the ministry.
“We hope this will help the growth and development of small and growing businesses because what they need most at the moment is financing,” she said.
Minister Nyoni said the second scheme they have been working on was the infrastructural scheme to help SMEs acquire places to operate from.
“The infrastructural scheme already has a policy passed by cabinet.
“Most of these SMEs have been operating from the streets and it is high time they leave the streets as that is not professional and it chases away investment,” she said.
Minister Nyoni said her ministry had started on the scheme of incubation centres where small businesses can go and be trained on how to operate the Indo-Zim project machinery that was donated by the Indian government to produce their own products.
“From there, we will try and make sure that they will be funded to start their own business projects.”
However, a survey by Business Chronicle showed that most SMEs were still in the dark about the Bill as well as its provisions.
Mr Absalom Chasara said he knew just a little bit about the Bill hence they supported it since it was meant for their empowerment.
“If everything is done transparently, we want it and we support it all the way.
“Minister Nyoni and the Government have been doing amazingly well to support SMEs growth but corruption at grassroots level is affecting growth,” he said.
Mrs Stella Nyathi, a clothes trader, said she was not aware of the Bill.
“We have no idea about the SMEs Bill and we are actually hearing about it now and we would want to know more about it.
“I think there was lack of communication about this Bill hence us the people involved are still in the dark,” she said.
Another small entrepreneur who only identified himself as Mr Muyambo shared the same sentiments saying they actually wanted more information concerning the Bill.
“I just read about it in the paper but I still want to know in detail what this Bill is all about so that we fully benefit from it,” he said.
Minister Nyoni said at the moment SMEs were not aware of the Bill hence they have organised road shows to enlighten them.
“We will be going to all provinces of the country organising road shows to make sure that SMEs known about this Bill hence benefit from it fully
“This Bill clearly defines an SME and it is good for them to be familiar with it and we are also inviting people who are interested in the policy of SMEs to participate actively,” she said.
Londile Moyo
Online Reporter