(HERALD) Allocate working space to SMEs — Nyoni
Allocate working space to SMEs — NyoniBy Flaxon Jaha and Dannie Simango
LOCAL authorities have been urged to consider the allocation of working space to small to medium enterprises to enable them to set up factories and expand their operations.
The call was made by Small to Medium Enterprises Minister Sithembiso Nyoni in a speech read on her behalf by her permanent secretary, Mrs Evelyn Ndlovu during the official opening of a new factory belonging to Navidale Textile in Graniteside last Friday.
"The shortage of appropriate and affordable work space is one of the major challenges affecting the development and growth of SMEs throughout the country.
"I would like to encourage local authorities to allocate working space to SMEs so that they can develop their own factories like the one we are witnessing today," she said.
Minister Nyoni also appealed to local financial institutions to enter into synergies with SMEs in order to promote their growth.
"It is important to note the shortage of funds for working capital and purchase of equipment and machinery as one of the major challenges affecting the development and growth of SMEs," she said.
She commended CBZ which assisted Navidale to set up its first factory in Msasa for the relations that it had developed with the company and implored other banks to follow suit.
Minister Nyoni said it was pleasing to note that women were increasingly taking a leading role in the economic development of the country.
"Let me assure you that the Government is fully behind the empowerment of women, as they constitute 52 percent of the population.
"I would like to take this opportunity to encourage Navidale and other SMEs who are in manufacturing, to venture into export markets to enable them to meaningfully contribute to the generation of foreign currency," she said.
Navidale textile factory, which is owned by Mrs Mary Madzima, has eight heavy-duty computerised knitting machines with a capacity to manufacture 1 440 jerseys per day.
The factory will manufacture jerseys for different companies in the corporate world, security companies and the army and school jerseys.
The machines which were sourced from Protti in Italy at a cost of US$200 000 were bought using facilities availed by CBZ and Textilaties of South Africa, with which Navidale has a 15-year-old relationship
Speaking at the same occasion Local Government, Rural and Urban Planning Minister, Ignatius Chombo hailed the investment made by Navidale as historic.
"This development is remarkable because the building that we are standing on belongs to a remarkable women," he said.
Mrs Madzima chronicled her business journey from humble beginnings when she used to knit from the backyard of her yard in 1995 and later moved to premises in Msasa.
She then persuaded her husband to put up title deeds for their house for them to obtain two machines from Helvey Knitwear. She also opened an account with CBZ, which availed her money to buy more machines in South Africa.
The purchase of machines in South Africa was to be the beginning of the partnership with Textilaties and the owner Mr Duncan Johnson. Mrs Madzima is an accountant by profession.
Labels: EVELYN NDLOVU, LOCAL GOVERNMENT, SITHEMBISO NYONI, SMEs
posted by MrK @ 5:52 PM
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