FESBC OUTLINES KPIS FOR GOVT PORTAL

MBABANE – Having thousands of subscribers per month is one of the minimal key performance indicators (KPIs) for the newly-launched  Eswatini Trade Information Portal (ETIP).

This is a feeling of the Federation of Eswatini Business Community (FESBC). The federation was represented by Vice President Hezekiel Mabuza when Prime Minister Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini launched the start of ETIP at the Eswatini Revenue Authority’s (SRA) headquarters in Ezulwini on Wednesday.

ETIP is simply a online ‘one -stop shop’ for trade information and it will benefit mainly exporters and importers. The portal contains more than 430 documents from at least 22 different sources. They include legal documents, procedures, measures, forms, trade agreements and other pertinent market intelligence, among others.

In his address on the day, Mabuza said in order for the project to be successful and sustainable, it is  their prayer for the  portal to attain minimal KPIs. “By the end of this 2020 project, 30 000 unique visitors per month should subscribe plus 5 000 registered Eswatini micro, small and medium enterprises with at least 200 registered private Eswatini business support organisations (BSO) accounts,” said Mabuza.

Mabuza also said the portal should generate product-development and knowledge to attract and grow the number of Eswatini MSMEs and BSOs visiting it for further design and development for  its maximum effectiveness and efficiency. “This portal should develop and implement marketing strategies based on, but not limited to, concept models for user acquisition and retention. This includes creating marketing materials and running marketing campaigns so as to provide full marketing support. “Additionally, this portal would provide ongoing support for both technical and user functionalities,” said Mabuza. 

FESBC further challenged government to ensure maximum workability of the portal by finding and fixing cyber security problems, while managing it by moderating users and content, when communicating with users, and solving problems associated with the marketplace. “This Portal should also create separate business intelligence (BI) module, accessible on the separate public domain, to accumulate and visualise key information, related to user’s behavioural patterns and portal performance.Finally, the overall scope of this Portal should be aimed at the development of the full-fledged marketplace portal of business support services for all Eswatini MSMEs: while actively facilitating the promotion, and full support of the use of this e-Portal for the greater benefit of all Eswatini MSMEs and companies,” shared Mabuza. 

The portal can be accessed by logging onto https://www.eswatinitradeportal.com/.

Ministers Manqoba Khumalo (Commerce, Industry and Trade), Public Service as well as Economic Planning and Development counterparts Christian Ntshangase and Dr Tambo Gina, also witnessed the festivities.

Support for the portal is provided by the World Bank Group with funding under the Trade Facilitation Support Programme (TFSP). The TFSP is funded by nine donor partners: Australia, Canada, the European Commission, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United States, and the United Kingdom. This initiative—implemented by IFC and the World Bank—assists countries seeking to align their trade practices with the WTO TFA.

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