Small firms learn more about importance of productivity |01 April 2017

To mark Productivity Awareness Week, various activities have been organised by the Ministry of Employment, Entrepreneurship Development and Business Innovation (MEEDBI) under the theme ‘Nurturing a culture of productivity and service excellence’.

As the last activity yesterday, a half-day workshop on entrepreneurship development was held at the Guy Morel Institute at Ma Joie.

The activity, which brought together representatives from the Small Business Financing Agency (SBFA), the Seychelles Energy Commission, Ministry of Education, Finance, Agriculture, Tourism, among others, was conducted by Marie-Celine Zialor, director for entrepreneurship at the Guy Morel Institute.

The workshop was officially opened by the principal secretary of Entrepreneurship Development & Business Innovation (EDBI) Pamela Charlette.

“Productivity remains a subject which is close to the heart of entrepreneurs and a business owner as their livelihood and that of their staff depends on it. The private sector is the main employer with 70 per cent of total labour force working in this sector. Therefore, it is very appropriate for us to look at how businesses and enterprises can enhance their productivity,” she said.

He pointed out that the government recognises the important contribution of the private sectors in our country.

“The government recognises the potential and contribution of the private sector to the economy which makes up of over 90 per cent small and medium enterprises. In the past three years we have taken great steps policy wise to improve the environment in which businesses operate and for those who want to start their own business,” she said.

He added that even though the government has made progress in enhancing the small and medium enterprises (SMEs), much work still needs to be accomplished.

“There is still much to do in tackling the various challenges by entrepreneurs and SMEs such as time taken to start a business, access to innovative financial products, high cost of operations and lack or high cost of business infrastructure or rent,” she said.

An entrepreneur frequently has to wear many hats, to perceive opportunities, plan, and organise resources among others; most importantly he has to innovate and bear risks. But no matter an entrepreneur does, improving productivity is a significant way of ensuring success.

In today’s competitive business environment, especially in our small island, doing more with fewer resources is a vital ingredient for survival.