2016-05-30Staff Report 2 Omuthiya At least 120 small and medium enterprises trainees have been awarded certificates following a two-week business training on how to manage and start up a business as well as how to venture into tendering. The Omuthiya Town Council had taken the initiative to bolster the town’s fight to attain economic development across the board by investing N$300 000 towards training of existing and upcoming small and medium enterprises. “The training of SMEs that finished recently has shown me that the people of Omuthiya are eager and willing to learn in order to develop themselves and their businesses. This is indeed a positive gesture because in that way the economy of the town will eventually develop and further improve the living standard of the people of Omuthiya,” said Omuthiya mayor Toivo Nghilalulwa when addressing entrepreneurs on Thursday. Nghilalulwa added that the business survey and census conducted in Omuthiya early last year indicated that there were over 290 SMEs in Omuthiya. “That is indeed a huge number hence the council decided to make an effort to nurture such SMEs,” he stated. The council outsourced the training service to the renowned Performance Development Centre that strives to improve a business’s performance as well as provide training courses, seminars and consultancy on a wide range of aspects such as leadership and management, accounting and finance, human resources, planning strategy and development studies. “The rationale is for the SMEs not to remain SMEs forever but to develop into giant corporations that will provide many job opportunities to the local people and in the end eradicate poverty, which the Harambee Prosperity Plan aims to address. The training is just one of the council initiatives of assisting SMEs as well as create a conducive environment for SMEs to grow,” advised Nghilalulwa. He further urged them to put into practice what they have acquired through the training in order to make a difference. “This training has cost the council a lot of money. Therefore, I will make surprise visits to your businesses to see if you are really practising what you have learned and please do not disappoint me,” cautioned Nghilalulwa. The trainees indicated that many of them had registered businesses but did not know how to manage and apply for tenders. Others indicated that they have been running small businesses for years but did not know how to go about registering a business nor know what was needed and the way forward after registering the business. 2016-05-30Staff Report 2
