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Archive -Seychelles

509 MSME owners get management skills |20 March 2017

 

 

Owners of more than 500 MSME (micro, small or medium enterprises) have been rewarded after completing training in entrepreneurship management and capacity building.

Since October last year up until recently, several capacity building sessions were held in Seychelles aimed at training 500 local entrepreneurs on how to start or manage a MSME. To date, 509 entrepreneurs from Mahé, Praslin and La Digue have been trained.

The certificates presentation ceremony took place last week at the University of Seychelles’ auditorium at Anse Royale.

Present at the ceremony were the Minister for Labour, Entrepreneurship Development and Business Innovation Wallace Cosgrow, African Development Bank (AfDB) representative Carina Sugden, the Dean of the Guy Morel Institute Shella Mohideen, the chief executive of the Small Enterprise Promotion Agency (Senpa) Penny Belmont, principal secretaries, participants among other guests.

The training, funded by the AfDB through the Fund for African Private Sector Assistance (FAPA), was part of Seychelles’ MSME development project being coordinated by the Department of Investment and Industry with support from Senpa and the University of Seychelles (Unisey).

Mrs Sugden stated that MSMEs are the engine of job creation and economic growth in most countries.

“The MSMEs in Seychelles account for the lion’s share of formally registered enterprises and contribute to about 80 per cent of the country’s GDP. About 90 per cent of the work force is employed by MSMEs. Therefore, the importance of this sector cannot be over emphasised,” she said.

She added that despite the importance of MSMEs, they continue to face a number of challenges.

“Despite the importance of such sector, they continue to face diverse challenges. A not so favourable business environment, huge infrastructure deficit, low access to financing, barriers to regional trade and movement of production resources, are among the big challenges. In the 2017 Ease of Doing Business ranking, Seychelles is ranked 93rd. While this puts it in 6th place in Africa, there remains a lot of room for progress,” she said.

In his speech Minister Cosgrow stressed the importance of MSMEs in Seychelles.

“Such training aims at upgrading entrepreneurs’ capabilities which as a result creates a new generation of businesses in Seychelles. We want to create a culture of entrepreneurship.  Education and training is powerful in changing mindset and custom and a good development for Seychelles,” he said.

During the ceremony three participants  ̶  Katrina Payet, Claude Elizabeth and Linda Legaie  ̶  talked about their businesses and how the training will come in handy.

Katrina Payet, who recently registered a business to respond to the need of the tourism industry, said:

“We learned about how to manage a business. With the skills I’ve gained from the training, I will start putting into practice what I have learned. In my own tourism business, clients get to take part in cultural activities such as traditional dance, learn how to prepare Creole food, among other activities.”

Two other people were also recognised for conducting these training sessions  ̶  the AfDB consultant Audrey Kawaka and the course consultant Keddy Ernesta.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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