Republic of Mauritius- Launching of activities to mark the International Day of SMEs

Among the activities are: an exhibition with the participation of SME
Mauritius Ltd trainees in craft and skills, a seminar focusing on digital
marketing and exhibitions and training will be held across the country
including Goodlands and Bel Air. Training will focus on personal coaching,
communication skills and steps to set up a business.

Present on the occasion,  the Minister
of Industrial Development, SMEs and Cooperatives, Mr.  Soomilduth Bholah, highlighted that SMEs are
important contributors to job creation and  the economic development of the country, with a
contribution of about 40% to the country’s GDP and representing 60%  of total employment.

The Minister underpinned the objective behind the setting up of SME
Mauritius Ltd , which is to support and facilitate the development of
entrepreneurship and SMEs in Mauritius. A team of dedicated professionals are
here to ensure that   talents of local
entrepreneurs are unlocked and developed and assist them in the
conceptualisation of their business as well as concretisation of their
projects, he said.

SME Mauritius Ltd, he emphasised, is a revamped institution which is
committed to help entrepreneurs address key constraints to SME growth, namely
access to finance, training and technology 
along with platforms to market their products. 

The Covid-19 pandemic, he stressed, has triggered the urgent need for
every country to encourage their respective population to produce and consume
locally, to strengthen food security and deal with the Post-Covid
socio-economic crisis.

Indeed, fostering local entrepreneurship and protecting the livelihood
of SMEs remain at the core of the Governmental agenda which fosters various
favourable conditions for SMEs, he added.

Minister Bholah dwelt on key measures including:  2020-2021 budgetary provision of Rs 10 billion
to support distressed SMEs and Cooperative Societies ; Governmental  support for the first two years of operation
of a “Made in Mauritius” warehouse set-up in Tanzania and Mozambique, to
increase market accessibility in African countries ; and imposition of a
minimum shelf space of 10% for locally manufactured goods in supermarkets

Furthermore, the Minister highlighted the need for SMEs to improve
competitiveness and growth through improved productivity, better quality products,
improved designs and innovative practices, to compete both in local and global
markets.  

Government Information Service, Prime Minister’s Office, Level
6, New Government Centre, Port Louis, Mauritius. Email: gis@govmu.org  Website: http://gis.govmu.org  Mobile App:
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