RYAN CHIGOCHE
Government is targeting the formalisation of small to medium enterprises (SMEs), a move which will enhance their role in contributing to economic development, a Cabinet minister has said.
Speaking at the awards ceremony Small to Medium Enterprises Association of Zimbabwe (SMEAZ) , Women Affairs, Community and SME Development minister Sithembiso Nyoni (pictured) said the sector was playing a critical role in the development and implementation of SMEs development policies in Zimbabwe.
“To this end, promoting the formalization, productivity, and competitiveness of SMEs has become the Ministry’s key goal to continuously enhance the role of SMEs in contributing to the achievement of the nation’s socio-economic development goals including Vision 2030,’’ Nyoni said in a speech read on her behalf at the Legends Awards by the ministry’s permanent secretary, Moses Mhike.
She said: “The Ministry cannot achieve this goal(Vision 2030) alone without the participation of private sector organizations, chiefly SME associations. Globally, MSME associations have become a sustainable and effective vehicle to support the implementation of national MSME policies.
“The MSME associations have also been significant in organizing MSMEs from grassroots to national levels enabling the objective and effective provision of comprehensive business development services.
“To this end, local MSME associations have also a key role to play in complementing the Ministry in the implementation MSME development programs and policies including the reviewed MSME Policy (2020 -2024),’’ she added.
At the ceremony, Nyoni was presented with a lifetime achievement award in recognition of her efforts at the helm of the sector spanning over two decades.
MoneyMart Finance, scooped the Medium -sized Enterprise of the Year Award.
The Small Enterprise of the Year Award went to Murare Car Rental while Anorah Sibanda of Gainquip (Pvt) Ltd was recognised as the Woman Entrepreneur of the Year.
Munyaradzi Gunduza of Secondary Book Press was the winner of the Youth Entrepreneur of the Year Award while Clean Zimbabwe clinched the SYart-up of the year Award.
Other winners were recognized for topping their sector, as well as for achievements in specific areas of growing their businesses.
Also recognized were long-standing members who had been with the Association for five years or more.
The government through the National Development Strategy recognized the emergence of the SME sector as key not only in facilitating employment creation, poverty reduction, and inclusive growth in Zimbabwe but pivotal in promoting the achievement of manufacturing growth and rural industrialisation.
Over the years the government has availed policies and platforms meant to help in the development and growth of the SMEs sector, for example, SMEDCO which is a development finance institution that primarily exists to promote the development of micro, small and medium enterprises and as well MSMEs policy (2020-2024).
