SCHEMES REQUEST MSMES FUNDING APPLICATIONS

MBABANE - The government has various financial schemes to assist Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), especially those owned by the youth in attaining capital funding for their businesses.

Government said these schemes have enough funds to finance capital projects for the youth, but they receive fewer applications, not properly structured. The poorly structured applications are rejected as per the norm of the application process, thus contributing to the funds remaining stagnant. These financial institutions have attested to rejecting about 68 per cent of applications because they did not meet the criteria needed to be awarded the funds.

Unclear

One of the key issues highlighted collectively is unclear details of the form of business requesting funding and management structure.
The schemes said the business plans they received are almost similar in details per constituency, which prove lack of attention to details, thus affecting funder’s confidence. This was mentioned during the ‘sharpening entrepreneurship skills among the youth’ workshop last week at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade. The Small Enterprise Development Company (SEDCO) in partnership with the Ministry of Commerce’s MSME Unit, facilitated a five-day entrepreneurship workshop sponsored by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), for youth entrepreneurs. The workshop focused on equipping the participants with the necessary knowledge and skills required for organising and carrying out entrepreneurial activities, and developing the ability of analysing and understanding business situations.SEDCO’s Chief Executive Officer Khethiwe Mhlanga and dignitaries from the Ministry of Commerce’s MSME Unit were also present in the workshop. Giving remarks at the ceremony, SEDCO’s CEO Khethiwe Mhlanga encouraged participants to apply the knowledge and skills they have acquired from the training so that their businesses can grow and be sustainable.

Correct

“The knowledge you have gained in this training is an investment to your businesses because the skills you have acquired will help you to correct some of the mistakes that you have made which will make your businesses more sustainable,” she said. Mhlanga also encouraged the participants to reach out to SEDCO at any point in their entrepreneurial journeys because it offers an array of services and products for SMEs.“When you start to feel like your business is in trouble and you need some business advice, please visit SEDCO. We have qualified business coaches and counsellors that will help guide you and point you in the right direction,” she said. SEDCO also supports entrepreneurs with registering companies, attaining trading licences, developing viable business plans, applying for funding, business incubation, marketing and recently, developing website and company emails. MSME Acting Director Philisa Dlamini said their financing model includes financial literacy training which aims to equip young entrepreneurs with financial management and record-keeping skills.

Dlamini mentioned that government has established various financial schemes to assist MSMEs, especially those owned by the youth to attain funding. She also mentioned the Small Scale Enterprise Loan Guarantee Scheme (SSELGS), the Regional Development Fund (RDF), the E45 Million MSME Revolving Fund housed at EswatiniBank, the Informal Traders Revolving Fund (ITRF) housed at FINCORP, and the Youth Enterprise Revolving Fund (YERF). Dlamini further encouraged the participants to come together and collaborate because this places them at a better position of securing grants from financial schemes like the RDF. She also encouraged them to advocate for government to improve the business environment and to implement existing policies.“As business people, you have the power to influence the business environment in the country, you just need to be proactive and approach us as government to make your requests,” said Dlamini.

Appreciated

Speaking on behalf of the participants, Sibusiso Dlamini appreciated SEDCO for the informative training and requested that it conducts an aftercare programme. “We would like to request that SEDCO checks up on us after this workshop and assists us with securing funding and implementing what we have learned in this workshop,” he said. He added that training modules included business awareness, survival budgeting, causes of business failure, importance of record-keeping, financial statements, marketing, business planning, risk management costing, and pricing and sources of finance.

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