Link us with govt certification agencies, Mwanza SMEs appeal to Sido

Small Industries Development Organisation (SIDO)

Small scale entrepreneurs in Mwanza Region have appealed to the Small Industries Development Organisation (sido) to link them with government certification agencies that would enable their products secure local and foreign markets.

 

A statement issued by organisation said the entrepreneurs requested SIDO to continue providing them with loans and connect them to institutions like Tanzania Food and Drugs Authority (TFDA) and Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) for products certification.

 

“This would enable us get loans and sell our products at any market, “they said after attended five days training on food processing in the region.

They insisted that the training was useful to participants as it would enable them to utilise available local resources and as a result reduce poverty, improve their living standards, create jobs and generate income for both household and government development.

 

The training programme took place in Mwanza and was attended by 18 participants from Kasulu (Kigoma Region), Kahama (Shinyanga Region), Nyamagana and Ilemela (Mwanza Region).

 

The training objective was to impart food processing technology to SMEs. Different food products were processed during the training include mango pickle, tomato sauce, tomato paste, nutritious flour, bread, cakes, wine, juice, dried vegetables and jam.

The government has been at the forefront in supporting entrepreneurs to meet their demands.

 

The Minister of State President’s Office Coordination and Relations, Dr. Mary Nagu was recently quoted by this paper as saying the government has been empowering entrepreneurs and small groups through its economic empowerment policy of 2004, and the Economic Empowerment Act No6 of 2004.

 

Dr Nagu said the citizenry’s economic empowerment policy of 2004 has clearly identified the aim of the government in putting up a conducive environment for accessing credit by improving sources of reserves and taking various measures to ensure banks lend available deposits accordingly on low interest rates.

 

She said following the establishment of the policy, various basket funds have been established to enable citizenry borrow easily.

 

These basket funds sponsor small and middle entrepreneurs under the supervision of the Bank of Tanzania (BoT), the minister noted.

 

The programme of empowering the citizenry by increasing employment has brought about citizenry economic empowerment funds like the Small Entrepreneurs Loan Facility (SELF), the Youth Development Fund and the Women Development Fund, among others.