Story by Stanley James, Business Editor
Zimbabwe’s small and medium enterprises growth plan is on course as government continues to mobilise resources in support of emerging firms.
A tour of emerging business units by the government officials in Harare this Tuesday provided a platform to gather information from the SMEs sector and assess their viability.
The entrepreneurs are pinning hopes for growth on government support.
“There is that appetite to boost growth, as you can see there is that aspect to grow industries manage viability and facilitate profitability. So, in the long term, the sector will always continue to derive more benefits riding on the need to facilitate a favourable climate for trade and business activities,” said SMEs operator, Mr Onias Chagaresango.
“The sector is yearning for growth, credit to the current strides emanating from the need to capacitate the emerging entrepreneurs it is our hope that such strategies will further accelerate growth while fostering opportunities for viable systematic policies to enhance development of the SMEs,” said another SMEs operator, Mr Tinoda Ndiga.
Government reaffirmed commitment towards implementation of the SMEs growth plan.
“The growth plan is designed in manner that seeks to address the constraints facing emerging companies at a time when we expect the SMEs to be the key driver for growth riding on a number of strides that have seen the entrepreneurs being afforded the opportunity to grow. It is within such a context that addressing the key points of the sector is vital, while focus should be on fostering that environment for sustainable growth riding on modalities to boost production,” said the Minister of Women’s Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, Honourable Monica Mutsvangwa.
The growth plan also seeks to capacitate emerging firms, offer support, mobilise funding and provide an enabling environment for growth.
