The Small and Medium Enterprise Association (Smea) is lobbying government to help in the establishment of a Small and Medium Entrepreneurs (SMEs) forum to act as a platform for stakeholders to discuss issues affecting the development of small businesses.
SME is proposing that the forum be held as an annual event to enhance the sector. According to Smea president, James Chiutsi, the group started engage government last year. Chiutsi said the initiative will accelerate SME development.
There will be a task team that will be responsible for organising the forum. The task team will be chaired by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism while Small and Medium Enterprise Development Institute (SMEDI) will be the secretariat.
The other members of the team will be the Small and Medium Enterprises Association (SMEA), the National Association for Small and Medium Enterprises Association (NASME), and the Malawi Microfinance Network (MAMN).
The team will be charged with the planning and implementation of the forum,” said Chiutsi.
He further said the forum targets a wide range of SME stakeholders and expects that all government departments that facilitate trade and private sector development should be part of the gathering.
He also said the SME forum is being proposed in line with the 2015 draft MSME policy and the draft MSME bill.
“The existence of SME forums will create a platform for SMEs to advance their interest and policy makers to be in touch with current developments in the sector. It creates an opportunity for a platform that fully concentrates on SMEs bearing in mind the crucial role they play,” said Chiutsi.
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