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CBZ to host inaugural International SMEs indaba

Business
CBZ Holdings will host the inaugural International Small-to-medium enterprise (SME) indaba in Bulawayo next week, to reinforce its support to the small-to-medium enterprises, sector, group chief executive officer Never Nyemudzo has said.

CBZ Holdings will host the inaugural International Small-to-medium enterprise (SME) indaba in Bulawayo next week, to reinforce its support to the small-to-medium enterprises, sector, group chief executive officer Never Nyemudzo has said.

BY MUNESU NYAKUDYA

The indaba runs from March 22 to 24. Nyemudzo told journalists on Wednesday that the objective of the indaba was to provide a platform for the key strengthening of the SMEs sector’s contribution towards job creation, poverty reduction and economic and social development.

He said the indaba would start with a series of pre-planned business-to-business meetings on March 22, between and among Zimbabwean and Indian companies.

“The 23rd and 24th of March will be dedicated for presentations and discussions by acclaimed local, regional and international speakers on SME success stories, areas of policy interventions and opportunities for future growth as well as networking sessions,” he said.

Nyemudzo said a wide range of panellists will be expected to grace the indaba, among them, SMEs minister Sithembiso Nyoni, Indian ambassador R Masakui and representatives from Indian SMEs community and regional participants and representatives from the developmental finance organisations such as United Nations Development Programme, Department for International Development and SNV.

Speaking at the same event Indian ambassador R Masakui said five SMEs from India would be gracing the occasion to share ideas and their success stories.

He said that India would be glad to share their success stories, adding that formalisation of the SMEs sector was a process.

“The Indian SMEs sector is not yet fully formalised because formalising the sector is a process. However, through the SMEs sector in India we have been exporting about 40% of our local products,” he said.

Ministry of SMEs permanent secretary, Evelyn Ndlovu said formalisation of the SMEs sector was a process and they were looking for resources to fund the sector since they faceda lot of challenges ranging from funding challenges to access to work place.