By Alice Mudzingwa
Permanent Secretary for Small and Medium Enterprises for the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, Moses Mhike has called for collective efforts between the ministry and entrepreneurs towards repositioning Small and Medium Enterprises for sustainable growth and resilience.
Presenting at the 13th edition SMEs International Expo Theme Launch, Mhike said there are a lot of challenges that have retarded the growth of promising enterprises.
“The backdrop of major economic disruptions including the Covid 19 pandemic, geopolitical tensions, financial strains, technological challenges, the scaling down of operations and in severe cases, undesirable tragedies experienced by some businesses,” said Mhike.
The 13th SMEs International Expo Theme is Rebuild, Retool, and Refocus, Reposition for sustainable growth and resilience.
“In many ways the theme speaks of government’s efforts to retool the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises(MSME) and get the best out of the sector, as the Second Republic is pushing for an upper middle- income economy by 2030,” said Mhike.
“Ladies and gentlemen the centrality of the MSME sector is a linchpin to the global economy and our own national economy. As government we are therefore seized with creating conducive environment for SMEs to thrive,” said Mhike.
“Government is unwavering in its stance towards mobilising and capacitating all Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises with programmes and initiatives that buttress the resilience of the sector and set them on a sustainable growth trajectory.”
He said government is working with local authorities, private sectors, SMEs Business Member Organisations and Development Partners to implement a number of strategic initiatives which include funding support, market access facilitation, training, linkages as well as work space and technological support among others.
“Given the critical role played by SMEs in job creation, empowerment, wealth generation and the economy as a whole, it is imperative that strategic platforms of this nature are embraced and utilised by all,” said Mhike.
Speaking at the same event director of SMEs International Expo engineer Delight Makotose urged business leaders to prioritise diverse inputs, tools, teamwork and partnerships for sustainable growth.
“The business leaders who are best at managing in uncertain worlds also rely on system thinking that allows them to sort out complex problems. These leaders assemble best team and partnerships the organisation needs to get through a crisis,” said Makotose.
“Today’s economy is a real life laboratory, an environment that supports business leaders that identified the need for leadership skill needed today as comfort with risk and with ambiguity- that is absence of certainty or clarity.”
