SSCG to host Malawi SMEs Development Conference on 25 April 13 in Partnership with Malawi Government

OXFORD, U.K. - March 26, 2013 - PRLog -- Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurs are the backbone of every economy including Malawi, supporting economic growth, creating employment opportunities and improving people livelihood. However, it is generally recognised that they face unique challenges, which affect their potential, hence diminish their ability to contribute effectively to the country sustainable development.

Enterprises and entrepreneurs in Malawi  faces overwhelming challenges including: lack of  managerial skills, inadequate capital and access to finance, unsupportive business policies and regulatory environment, market competition, fast technological advancement, poor infrastructure, lack of market information and industry standards.

To mobilize action and partnerships focused on promoting sustainable SMEs development. Businesses community, entrepreneurs and  Malawi government institutions need to play a leadership role as innovators, solution designers and drivers of investment and capacity building solutions, but this cannot accomplished easily and working alone. Malawi SMEs Forum, Entrepreneurship and Business Linkages Development (MBLP) Initiative aim to create a collective platform to facilitate knowledge sharing, know how transfer, build and accelerate public-private partnerships (PPPs)  that can reduce enterprise development risks, facilitate market research and development, solve business growth and financing challenges in Malawi.

As part of Eugene Nizeyimana discussion on the sideline at the Malawi Investment Conference that took place in London on the 20 March 2013 with Hon Sosten Gwengwe, Minister for Trade and Industry, Malawi, Nerbert Nyirenda, Secretary for Trade and Industry, Charles Mudiwa, CEO, Standard Bank Malawi and  Clement Kumbemba, CEO, Malawi Investment and Trade Centre (MITC). It was agreed that SSCG will be hosting a conference on SMEs Development in Malawi on the 25 April 2013, at Capital Hotel, Lilongwe (http://www.s-scg.com/events/malawi-smes-development-confe...) on which the stakeholders expressed their interest to participate and work together with SSCG on other long term activities that will support sustainable economic development and job creation in the country.

SSCG has taken action to deliver SMEs capacity building initiatives, improve performance, efficiency and drive economic development; however barriers and challenges persist, limiting our impact. Malawi SMEs Forum and Linkages Development (MBLP) was launched to act as a catalyst for action and to help accelerate the achievement of scale and the pace of implementation. Our aims and objectives are to support SMEs development, foster innovation, support small business financing, Industrial competitiveness, access to market information and promote the cause for entrepreneurship in Malawi.

Leveraging on innovation, entrepreneurship, experience, local knowledge and market insights, SSCG strive to provide advice on barriers, disseminate knowledge on the most pressing issues that affect businesses, investors and entrepreneurs today, identify and present opportunities to investors to enhance economic growth in the continent.

In conclusion, Eugene, summarised the meeting stating that these challenges will not be met overnight. That all stakeholders, business community, development agencies and government institutions in  Malawi must all continue to work together to engage the economy’s most powerful forces, entrepreneurs, the private and public sector, to build the foundations of a new era of economic growth. We hope our initiatives will help set the stage for contributions to SMEs and entrepreneurship development in Malawi.

SSCG Press Team