GOVERNMENT TO SUBVENT KICKSTART PROGRAMME

MBABANE – Government will this year subvent the Swaziland Beverages KickStart Entrepreneurial Development Programme, Prime Minister (PM) Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini revealed.

He said banks also had a challenge to follow suit so that, though small the entrepreneurs may be for now, in future they would be billionaires.
The PM revealed this during the KickStart Award ceremony at the Royal Villas yesterday.

The revelation follows that made by Minister of Finance Martin Dlamini, who announced in his budget speech two weeks ago that E6.2 million would be set aside this financial year for the development of the youth in entrepreneurship. The minister had said the money would be shared among Junior Achievers, KickStart, and Enactus – all organisations involved in the funding of young entrepreneurs. The PM said government had, as one of its priorities, a resolve to bolster young entrepreneurs and make them effective contributors to the economic engine.

“Speaking for government, I can simply say how much we appreciate a corporate social initiative of this nature, and add that we need it to reach as many young would-be entrepreneurs as possible. It is for that reason that explicit government budgetary support is being extended to the kickStart Programme in financial year 2014/15.”

The PM said such support from government was, however, not restricted to financial assistance. “Where there is a dependency on a government agency, for example, within the supply chain we cannot have award-winning young entrepreneurs frustrated by an avoidable supply failure on the public sector side. Government will continue to have an obligation to ensure that any pledged support, in supply or otherwise, is sustained,” he said.

The PM said he had observed that two of the common causes of failure in small and micro scale enterprises were a shortage of initial working capital and the mixing of personal cash with business finances.
He said he had been made aware that in future allocations KickStart intended to include in allocations to awardees initial working capital.  He then congratulated the 10 awardees who all went away with thousands of Emalangeni each to finance their businesses.

The 10 were identified as Abraham Bulunga, Assia Manyatsi, Elvis Khumalo; Lindokuhle Madonsela; Lloyd Masiya; Mlungisi Sibandze; Ncamiso Khumalo; Ncamiso Nkambule; Nhlanhla Mamba; Sihle Shabalala and Tengetile Mabuza.

Directing comments to them, the PM said: “I urge you to make the very best of the enterprise opportunities that you have brought to the table. Well done! To the runners-up, I extend mild commiserations, describing them as ‘mild’ only because the skill and determination that got you into the final stages of the competition will serve you well as you compete in future years.”

The PM thanked Swaziland Beverages for maintaining the KickStart Programme, saying it was a good social responsibility tool that has empowered more than 50 young entrepreneurs with business skills training.

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