Monday, 28 November 2011

COMESA partnership with ZANACO reaches greater heights

The COMESA SME Toolkit in partnership  with ZANACO held a five day SME Training from the 14-18 November 2011 at the  COMESA Secretariat attracting participation from SMEs that are doing business  and banking with ZANACO from various parts of Zambia.

During the official opening of the  workshop, Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry,  Keith Mukata, who was the guest of honour, said that the COMESA region depends  on well-equipped and empowered young people who are able to build vibrant  private sector businesses based on entrepreneurial culture and principles.

  “They say that youths are the leaders  of tomorrow, and so if we as government don’t empower these youths with the  relevant skills and business environment that is conducive for their success in  business, then we are just killing the future of the nation,” Mukata said.

“As a youth myself, I will be your  ambassador to make sure that government provides the necessary environment for  you to do business on a leveled playing field.”

He added that government will push for  further reduction of lending rates by the banks and urged the SMEs to promptly  pay back the loans given by the banks.

He urged the participants to take the  training seriously so as to contribute to the growth of the Zambian economy.

Speaking at the same function, COMESA Secretary  General, Sindiso Ngwenya, said that he is happy to be the patron of the SME  Toolkit as he has seen how it has helped so many small-scale businessmen and  women in country.

Mr Ngwenya said that the SMEs account  for a large portion of the country’s Gross Domestic Product.

He, however, challenged the banks in  the country to provide incentives that will enable the SMEs to grow into multi-national  companies.

“I am now addressing the banking  sector in Zambia: you seem to have concentrated on the big companies forgetting  that the SMEs are also eager to grow into big companies like ZAMBEEF,” Ngwenya  said.

“Make borrowing for the serious  upcoming businessmen and women like these easier so that they also enjoy the  benefits as the big companies.”

ZANACO PLC Director of Retail Business  Mr Arjan Poels said that his company intends to widen its customer base for the  SMEs across the nation to enable most of the small scale businessmen and women  access the funds.

He said that ZANACO has enjoyed its partnership  with the COMESA SME Toolkit and has been conducting training countrywide during  the months of July to November 2011 with over 2,000 SMEs.

  The American Embassy representative,  Mr Phil Nervig said that his government is happy to be on board to support  initiatives that help eliminate poverty in the nation.

“Our interest is in the business plan  competition. The American Chamber of Commerce will help in mentoring the winner  for a period of one year, and get them one-year membership to the American  Chamber of Commerce,” Nervig said.

The purpose of the training was to stress  the importance of banking as a financial management tool beyond lending or  borrowing money by and from the bank.

Alongside  the training, the  COMESA SME Toolkit also held the Annual Global Entrepreneurship Week with the  following activities:
  •   Speed networking sessions, 
  •  A special women-in-business day on  Wednesday, 16 November 2011 at the American Centre; and 
  •  A business plan competition  for young entrepreneurs of 15 – 35 years; and students. This was held from the  14 – 19 November 2011.
 Over 100 countries participated in the  event, which connected millions of young people from around the globe. They engaged  in activities that had them exploring their potential and turn their ideas into  reality.

This year’s event was under the theme:  “Unleashing ideas with the aim of promoting the culture of entrepreneurship.”

As a result of the programme, a third year  University of Zambia student Julia Gondwe, represented the Zambian Student  Entrepreneurs in New York at the 2011 Global Students Entrepreneurs Awards held  between 17 - 19 November 2011.

http://www.comesa.int

2 comments:

  1. The students name is JULILA GONDWE Not Julia. Please correct that. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Comesa is To accelerate economic growth and development partners to accelerate the free flow of goods, persons and services, the establishment and the right to live, services and free movement of capital, to strengthen coordination and regulation of economic and trade relations between the partners, to promote.

    secretariat

    ReplyDelete