A series of activities to mark the International Day of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) organised by the Ministry of Industrial Development, SMEs and Cooperatives, was launched, at the SME Mauritius Business Support Centre in Bel Air.
Present on the occasion, the Minister of Industrial Development, SMEs and Cooperatives, Mr Soomilduth Bholah, recalled that the objective behind the setting up of SME Mauritius Ltd is to support and facilitate the development of entrepreneurship and SMEs in Mauritius. A team of dedicated professionals will not only ensure that talents of local entrepreneurs are unlocked and developed but will also assist them in the conceptualisation of their business as well as concretisation of their projects, he said.
Speaking about the Bel Air SME Mauritius Business Support Centre, he highlighted that the institution has been revamped so as to better help entrepreneurs address key constraints to SME growth, namely access to finance, training, and technology along with platforms to market their products.
Furthermore, he pointed out that after more than five months of upgrading works, the site is now ready to welcome entrepreneurs for a unique growth experience. The outstation now proposes new facilities, namely: free co-working space, modern training rooms, and a meeting space for entrepreneurs. The Bel Air outstation will accommodate and support start-ups with key resources put at their disposal through the availability of specially designed and fitted acceleration room for growing businesses and will accommodate 15 people simultaneously with projection facilities.
He also dwelt on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on food security, which he said, has triggered the urgent need for every country to encourage their respective population to produce and consume locally, to strengthen food security, and deal with the post-COVID socio-economic crisis. Hence the need to foster local entrepreneurship and protect the livelihood of SMEs, he said. He further stated that in line with Government’s agenda to foster favourable conditions for SMEs, budget 2021-2022 has made provisions to support distressed SMEs and Cooperative Societies. Mr Bholah invited participants to avail of the schemes provided by SME Mauritius to support entrepreneurs as well as the funding facilities.
Speaking about the other sub-offices of SME Mauritius Ltd located at Rose Belle, Coromandel, Goodlands, and Rodrigues, Minister Bholah underscored that each of them offer counseling and training facilities to entrepreneurs.
He also commended SME Mauritius Ltd for the laudable work being undertaken in guiding and accompanying local entrepreneurs in their business ventures. The economy, he further observed, must reinvent and adapt itself given that changes at the global level are manifold.
On the same occasion, a LinkedIn page was launched by SME Mauritius. This page will be used mainly for the dissemination of information on results of research undertaken by SME Mauritius as the institution doubles in its effort to create a highly equipped and enabled infrastructure for businesses to emerge and grow.
